Over 13,000 Government School Books Sold as Scrap in Bahraich; Four Arrested

Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh: In a shocking incident, textbooks meant for government school children in Bahraich were sold to scrap dealers at just ₹4 per kilogram instead of being distributed for free. The police have recovered over 13,000 books and arrested four people in connection with the case.

The books, intended for students for the 2026-27 academic session, were allegedly being transported to Kashipur in Uttarakhand. Authorities discovered that the books had been loaded into containers for dispatch. After the police intervened, the containers were brought back from Lakhimpur Kheri.

According to the police, Alok Mishra, a class-IV employee of the Basic Education Officer (BEO) office, has been arrested. The scrap dealer Dilshad, along with Shubhankar Gupta and Arjun, were also taken into custody. Following the revelations, three other BEO office employees—Ashutosh Singh, Deepak Kumar, and Atul Singh—have been dismissed, while action against Block Officer Dolly Mishra and Accounts Officer Vireesh Verma has been recommended to the state government.

The police have filed a case at Ramganj police station, and after detailed interrogations, the accused were sent to jail. Two other assistants had already been suspended, while the contracts of an instructor, district coordinator, and special educator have been terminated.

District authorities, including the Tehsil Officer and BEO of the city, are under investigation for departmental lapses. The police acted swiftly after a complaint was lodged with District Magistrate Akshay Kumar Tripathi, and a committee was formed to probe the matter. Following the committee report, Alok Kumar and Shafiq Ahmed were suspended.

According to police, the books’ pages were reportedly being used to dry cooking oil for fritters. The truck driver involved initially fled the scene, but the vehicle was later recovered with the help of a private driver.

This incident has sparked outrage across social media, raising serious concerns over mismanagement and corruption in the distribution of educational materials meant for children.