Investigating agencies probing into the Rs 500 crore scholarship scam are now focusing on 20 more colleges that may have been involved in the crime.

According to reports, investigators have picked up clues which suggest that the scam may be much bigger than what is being estimated.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate is preparing to attach properties worth Rs 90 crore belonging to the accused named in the case so far.

The ED sources said that these 20 colleges embezzled scholarships worth several crores, the exact amount of which is being ascertained.

It surfaced that these 20 colleges had fudged registration of students in different courses. The institutes/colleges have been accused of furnishing details of students who were never enrolled with them, to seek scholarships from the Uttar Pradesh government under various schemes.

Soon after opening bank accounts, they were registered as students and all scholarships coming into their accounts was used by the owners. They were kept in the dark about any such transaction taking place into their accounts, the sources added.

The ED has compiled properties worth Rs 90 crore belonging to the three arrested persons, identified as Izhar Hussain Jafri, Ali Abbas Jafri and Ravi Prakash Gupta, and the process to confiscate it has already begun.

Sources added that Ravi Prakash Gupta, one of the three arrested accused, was only a graduate, but he was made principal of one of these institutes which is against the norms.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in April had arrested three owners of educational institutes in connection with a scholarship scam.

The arrests came after ED raids on 10 educational institutes across several districts of Uttar Pradesh in February. It allegedly seized crucial evidence of the offence not only of these 10 institutes but also in respect of several other colleges and institutes which, prima facie, were also found engaged in the scam.

ED investigation revealed that the trio were operating the scam from Hygia Group of colleges and fraudulently obtained scholarship funds using Aadhaar and bank details of ineligible persons shown as students. (IANS/NS)