Patna: Police in Patna have registered a case against a clerk of the College of Nursing run by Kurji Holy Family Hospital for allegedly embezzling Rs. 72.91 lakh from student fees and hospital funds, officials said on Wednesday.
The case was filed at Patliputra police station based on a written complaint by the hospital administrator, Princy Mathew. According to the complaint, the accused, Neeraj Kumar, misappropriated Rs. 49.72 lakh collected from nursing students and nearly Rs. 22 lakh belonging to the hospital.
Kumar has been absconding since the matter came to light, police said. “An FIR has been registered, and relevant documents have been handed over to us by the college. We are examining the records, and further action will be taken based on the findings,” said Atulesh Kumar, the station house officer of Patliputra police station.
The alleged fraud surfaced after the college received a call from the university in September 2025. University officials informed the principal that the registration of 59 students for the 2024–25 academic session was still pending, even though the online portal for registration had already closed.
An internal inquiry by the college administration revealed that the registration fees for these students had been taken by Kumar and transferred to his personal bank account instead of being deposited with the university. The college later arranged the required funds on an emergency basis and, following a special request, the registrations of the affected students were completed.
Kumar, a resident of Saidpur, had joined the nursing college in 2016, and his services were confirmed in 2018. His responsibilities included collecting online registration fees from students of Bihar University and maintaining related records.
The complaint also alleges that Kumar tampered with the college’s website in an attempt to manipulate data and hide the financial irregularities. After the fraud was detected, he reportedly admitted his guilt before the college administration and promised to return the money. However, he later went on leave without informing the authorities and has not returned since.
Police said efforts are underway to trace his whereabouts. The case has raised serious questions about financial oversight and internal controls in educational institutions attached to private hospitals, particularly those handling large sums of student fees.
Officials said further investigation would determine the full extent of the alleged embezzlement and whether any other individuals were involved.
