PRAYAGRAJ, July 15 -- The Allahabad high court has refused to quash an FIR alleging misappropriation of government funds by managers of several madrasas in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district, observing that many of the institutions were not found to exist physically despite claiming grants under the Madrasa Modernisation Scheme. According to the FIR, 313 madrasas in Azamgarh came under scrutiny, of which around 180 were allegedly found to be physically non-existent. Their managers are accused of securing government grants through cheating and forgery by claiming honorarium for teachers teaching modern subjects and scholarships for minority students. Information uploaded on the government's Madarsa Portal, including details of buildings, student strength and other records, was allegedly fabricated. A division bench of Justice JJ Munir and Justice VK Dwivedi dismissed petitions filed by Madrasa Kaifi Azmi, represented through its manager Mohd Galib Khan, along with several others, seeking quashing of the FIR registered on March 16, 2025, by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the state CID at Ahraula police station in Azamgarh under various provisions of the IPC. Refusing to interfere, the court observed that the petitioner's madrasa was not found to exist physically at the location mentioned on the Madarsa Portal. It further noted that no classrooms or office rooms existed on the premises and that students shown as enrolled had, during the inquiry, identified themselves as students of another educational institution functioning there. In its July 1 order, the bench observed that the material on record prima facie indicated that bogus documents had been prepared with the intention to cheat and obtain government funds. It noted that the Centre and the state government provide grants to madrasas towards teachers' honorarium, scholarships and other purposes, and that the investigation was still underway to ascertain the amount disbursed and the beneficiaries. The court also observed that the possibility of funds having been obtained using the credentials of a government-registered madrasa, including from "spurious sources" or even foreign sources, could not be ruled out at this stage. Holding that the allegations required a thorough investigation, the bench said the case was not fit for quashing of the FIR at the threshold....