In a significant development in the ₹5 crore misappropriation of central funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) in Goa, a nationalized bank that manages the scheme’s official account is now under investigation. With the SSA cheque book reportedly untouched and all transactions processed digitally, authorities suspect insider involvement within the bank.
“The nature of the fraud suggests a high level of sophistication, raising concerns about the possible role of bank personnel,” a senior official stated. Investigators are examining how fraudsters managed to forge cheques and access SSA account details without triggering system alerts—pointing to either internal collusion within SSA or the bank.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who also heads the education department, is personally overseeing the probe. A detailed report has already been submitted to him, and no one has been cleared of suspicion yet, officials confirmed.
The scam was uncovered earlier this year while SSA staff were attending a Project Approval Board meeting in New Delhi. This absence may have been strategically exploited by the perpetrators. The fraud came to light when an alert employee at a private bank in West Bengal noticed irregular cheque clearances and flagged the transactions.
So far, a garment trader from West Bengal, whose account received nearly ₹2 crore, has been arrested. He claimed his account was misused and that he was under financial distress following the COVID-19 pandemic. Investigators also discovered that the registered mobile number linked to the SSA account had been changed to block transaction alerts.
Police are now intensifying their search for the mastermind behind the operation, aiming to recover the diverted funds and bring all responsible parties to justice.