Barabanki Women’s Degree College Fraud: ₹2.70 Crore Embezzled, Case Filed Against 10 Including Former BJP Candidate

Barabanki, UP: A major financial fraud has come to light at a women’s degree college in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, with allegations that members of the college’s management committee embezzled ₹2.70 crore. Following a complaint filed by the college founder and trustee Krishna Chaudhary, the court has ordered a formal case to be registered.

According to reports by Jitendra Kumar Maurya, the case involves ten individuals, including former BJP assembly candidate Uma Shankar Verma (also known as Munnu Bhaiya), former chairman of the Cooperative Bank Dhirendra Verma, and several college staff members. They have been booked under serious sections of the law by the Nagar Kotwali police.

Details of the Alleged Embezzlement
Krishna Chaudhary stated that the management committee members allegedly used forged and fabricated documents to present themselves as legitimate authorities and carried out fraudulent financial transactions. On 5 April 2020, in violation of regulations, they conducted a sham meeting using forged signatures of 17 members and misappropriated funds.

The complaint alleges that ₹50 lakh of the institution’s funds were transferred to the account of Dayaram & Sons director Rajesh Gupta without authorization. Additionally, Uma Shankar Verma reportedly transferred ₹20 lakh to his son Manav Patel’s account without any formal approval. A new bank account was opened in the District Cooperative Bank without the founder’s consent, and approximately ₹2 crore from the original account was diverted to this new account. Dhirendra Verma, the bank’s then-chairman, is also accused of benefiting from these unauthorized transactions.

Fraudulent Withdrawals
Further allegations claim that Uma Shankar Verma and Dhirendra Verma, along with college employees Avadhesh, Man Singh, Ajay Verma, Rakesh Kumar, Vijay, Sunil, Rajiv, and Ashok, issued fraudulent cheques on various dates (15 July 2022, 26 July 2022, 18 August 2023, and 20 August 2023) to withdraw cash and illegally pocket funds.

Legal Action
Krishna Chaudhary stated that she had previously complained to the Superintendent of Police and filed a petition on 25 September 2025. Due to inaction, she approached the court, which directed the police to register a case. Inspector Sudhir Singh of Kotwali confirmed that the case has been officially filed following court orders, and an investigation is underway.