THIS is with reference to the report “Zhob clerk loses students’ exam fee in online gambling” (Oct 29). In a shocking turn of events, the fate of hundreds of students at the Government Model Higher Secondary School, Zhob, hangs in the balance, as a junior clerk squandered their examination fee in the said online gambling spree.

According to the school principal, a total of 878 students from grades IX and X had submitted their exam fee, amounting to approximately Rs2.3 million. As per the routine practice, the collected fee was to be kept in a secure locker before being deposited in the bank in one go. However, the junior clerk, who had been appointed recently, decided to take a different path.

Instead of securing the money in the school locker, the clerk succumbed to the lure of online gambling, investing the entire amount with a gambling platform. The gamble, as expected, resulted in a complete loss of the amount, putting the students’ academic futures at risk.

When the shocking misuse of funds came to light, the principal, in consultation with the district education officer, immediately took action. A formal complaint was lodged with the local police station, leading to the arrest of the clerk. An official case has been registered against him, and legal proceedings are now said to be underway.

The school administration, however, faces a dilemma because the deadline for fee submission to the relevant board has already passed. The school adminis- tration has urged the board to allow the students to sit the exams, and that the lost funds will be recovered and deposited into the board’s account soon.

However, recovering the lost Rs2.3 million is no small task. According to police sources, the accused clerk owns a property. Under Section 409, the authorities may seize and auction the property to compensate the school administration for the embezzled funds. But all this will take time owing to logistics and legalities. The situation is grim as far as the students and their parents are concerned.

Akhtar M. Mandokhail
Zhob

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2024