ED seizes over ₹18 crore assets in Himachal scholarship scam after decade-long probe

In a significant development in the ₹250 crore Himachal Pradesh scholarship scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth ₹18.27 crore belonging to the Maa Saraswati Educational Trust. The trust runs the Himalayan Group of Professional Institutions in Kala Amb, Sirmaur district.

The seized properties include three land parcels totaling approximately 125 bighas in Nahan, Himachal Pradesh, along with two flats in Panchkula, Haryana, registered under trustees Preeti Bansal and Richa Bansal.

The scam, which dates back to 2012-13, involved large-scale misappropriation of post-matric scholarship funds meant for students from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Class (OBC) categories. Between 2013 and 2019, multiple private institutions in Himachal Pradesh allegedly siphoned off these funds, prompting investigations by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED.

The CBI has so far arrested seven individuals, including an Assistant Director of the ED and a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) from its own ranks. The ED, in its separate probe, has also arrested six people. In a shocking turn, the CBI filed a chargesheet against four individuals — among them, the ED Assistant Director, the CBI DSP, and two of the ED official’s relatives — accusing them of demanding ₹2.5 crore bribe from implicated institutions in exchange for favorable treatment.

The money laundering investigation stems from a 2019 CBI case following complaints of widespread irregularities in the disbursement of scholarships under a government scheme overseen by the Himachal Pradesh Directorate of Higher Education. Investigators uncovered fake enrollments, forged documents, and the creation of ghost students to divert scholarship funds.

In March 2024, the CBI filed detailed charge sheets against 20 educational institutions and 105 individuals, including private college owners, higher education department staff, bank officials, and others. The ED’s latest action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) aims to recover misappropriated funds, with the attached properties marking a key step in the probe.

As the investigation unfolds, the Trust and its promoters have yet to issue an official response to the ED’s allegations.