MANDI/SHIMLA: In a major breakthrough in the Rs 250 crore Himachal Pradesh scholarship scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth Rs 18.27 crore belonging to the Maa Saraswati Educational Trust.
The trust operates the Himalayan Group of Professional Institutions in Kala Amb in Sirmaur district. The attached properties include three land parcels totaling approximately 125 bighas in Nahan in Himachal Pradesh, and two flats in Panchkula, Haryana, registered under trustees Preeti Bansal and Richa Bansal.
The scam, which dates back to 2012-13, involves large-scale misappropriation of post-matric scholarship funds allocated for students from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC) categories.
Between 2013 and 2019, several private institutions in Himachal Pradesh allegedly siphoned off funds meant for Dalit students, triggering investigations by the CBI and the ED.
The CBI has arrested seven persons in connection with the case, including an Assistant Director of the ED and a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) from its own ranks.
The ED has also arrested six individuals during its probe. In a shocking twist, the CBI filed a chargesheet against four people, including the ED Assistant Director, the CBI DSP and two of the ED official’s relatives.
The four were accused of demanding a Rs 2.5 crore bribe from educational institutions implicated in the scam in exchange for favorable treatment during the investigation.
The money laundering probe stems from a CBI FIR filed in 2019, following complaints of irregularities in the disbursement of scholarships meant for OBC, SC and ST students under a government-sponsored scheme managed by the Himachal Pradesh Directorate of Higher Education.
The scam involved fake enrollments, manipulated documents and the creation of ghost students to siphon off scholarship funds.
In March 2024, the CBI filed comprehensive charge sheets against 20 educational institutions and 105 individuals, including owners of private colleges, staff from the Directorate of Higher Education, bank officials, and other private persons.
The charge sheets detailed the complex web of corruption that allowed funds intended for marginalized students to be funneled into private hands.
The ED’s latest action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) included the provisional attachment of the trust’s properties, marking a critical step in recovering the misappropriated funds.
The three land parcels in Nahan and the flats in Panchkula, both registered under trustees Preeti Bansal and Richa Bansal, have been frozen as part of the ongoing investigation.
The trust and its promoters have not issued any official statement regarding the ED’s allegations.
Munish Sood(Mandi)
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