UP: Free govt school textbooks sold by Bahraich scrap dealer; 4 education dept staff face action

BAHRAICH: A large consignment of government school textbooks meant for free distribution to students was sold by a scrap dealer, prompting suspension and termination proceedings against four education department personnel, officials said on Thursday.

District Magistrate Akshay Tripathi said he received a tip-off on February 17 which indicated that a local scrap dealer had sold the textbooks and was transporting them in a truck. A police team intercepted the vehicle in neighbouring Lakhimpur district after it had left Bahraich and brought it back.

"More than 10 tonnes of textbooks meant for the 2026-27 academic session were recovered. Documents found in the truck indicate the books had been sold by the scrap dealer to a firm in Kashipur, Uttarakhand," Tripathi told PTI.

On a complaint by Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Ashish Kumar Singh, an FIR was registered at Ramgaon police station on Wednesday against Bahraich-resident scrap dealer Dilshad Ahmad, truck owner Mohammad Aslam from Moradabad and others under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, the district magistrate said.

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Committee to conduct physical verification of textbooks

He added that an administrative committee has been constituted to probe the matter and a physical verification of textbooks stored in six education department warehouses in Bahraich is underway. Police said the scrap dealer is absconding and efforts are on to arrest him.

Officials said it is yet to be ascertained whether the textbooks were meant for distribution in Bahraich or some other district. "Only after questioning the accused scrap dealer will it become clear where the books were sourced from and where they were being transported," Tripathi said, adding that the additional superintendent of police has assured that the accused would be arrested soon.

Meanwhile, BSA Singh said counting of textbooks has been completed and 13,595 books meant for free distribution in council schools were found missing.

"Departmental attendants Shafiq Ahmad and Alok Kumar have been suspended. Contractual district coordinator (community participation) Ashutosh Singh and instructor Atul Kumar Singh have been terminated. A detailed inquiry is underway," he said.

Ramgaon Station House Officer Gursen Singh said the truck has been seized and investigation is in progress. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled, he added.