Munish Sood
MANDI: In a major crackdown in the high-profile fake degree scandal linked to Himachal Pradesh’s Manav Bharti University, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth ₹1.74 crore belonging to three commission agents allegedly involved in the racket. The action marks another significant development in what is now considered one of India’s largest education-related financial frauds.
The three accused agents — Abhishek Gupta, Himanshu Sharma and Ajay Kumar — are believed to have acted as key intermediaries in the sale of fake degrees issued by the university. The attached assets include seven immovable properties located in Bihar, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The ED took action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following detailed investigations based on three FIRs registered at the Dharampur police station in Solan district.
Manav Bharti University at centre of scam
The ED’s probe has unearthed a massive racket orchestrated by Raj Kumar Rana, Chairman of Manav Bharti University (MBU), located in Solan, Himachal Pradesh. The university, along with Rana’s associates and commission agents, allegedly sold thousands of fake degrees across India and abroad in exchange for hefty sums.
According to the ED, the agents played a pivotal role by bridging the gap between the buyers and the university officials. In return, they received a commission from the sale proceeds, which was later laundered into real estate and other assets.
Over ₹202 crore assets already attached
Investigations estimate the total proceeds of crime in the scam at ₹387 crore. This amount was reportedly laundered through investments in movable and immovable assets across multiple states. With this latest seizure of ₹1.74 crore, the total asset attachment under the case now exceeds ₹202 crore, including ₹194.14 crore attached in January 2021, ₹5.8 crore attached in January 2025 and ₹1.74 crore attached in July.
Legal action and wider implications
The ED has already filed a prosecution complaint before a Special PMLA Court in Shimla against 14 individuals and two institutions, including Rana and several agents. The investigation, which began from FIRs under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, has now expanded in scope, with multiple states and international leads under the scanner.
The scam has dealt a serious blow to the credibility of India’s private higher education sector, especially in Himachal Pradesh, prompting calls for tighter regulatory oversight and monitoring of degree-granting institutions.
