ED Assistant Director Linked to Himachal's Infamous Scholarship Scam, Bribery Allegations Surface
Bribe Demand of Rs 25 Crore and CBI’s Action in the Case
Shimla, December 30: The bribery case involving Enforcement Directorate (ED) Assistant Director Vishal Deep Singh has now been connected to the notorious scholarship scam that rocked Himachal Pradesh. Singh is accused of demanding a bribe of Rs 25 crore from the owners of educational institutions, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recovering a sum of Rs 55 lakh in connection with the case. Singh, who is the primary accused, is currently absconding, and the CBI has initiated action against him.
The scholarship scam, which involved the embezzlement of about Rs 181 crore between 2013 and 2017, pertains to funds allocated by the Central Government for students belonging to the SC, ST, and OBC categories. The CBI launched an investigation into the scam in 2019 at the request of the Himachal government. The probe revealed that 29 educational institutions out of 276 had misappropriated these funds.
According to the allegations made by the owners of these institutions, the situation remained relatively stable until November 2023, when Vishal Deep Singh began harassing them by summoning them to the ED office. He reportedly demanded Rs 1 crore from each institution and threatened them with arrests if they did not comply. The institutions’ owners expressed their distress over these extortion demands, with some even contemplating suicide due to the pressure. This led them to file a formal complaint with the CBI.
In response to the complaint, the CBI set up a trap in Zirakpur and Panchkula, where Singh, accompanied by his brother Vikas Deep Singh, was caught accepting the bribe. Following the raid, the CBI seized Rs 55 lakh in bribe money. Furthermore, two other ED officials, Neeraj Garg and Sunil Kumar, have also been implicated in the bribery scheme.
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In the wake of the CBI’s investigation, Vishal Deep Singh has been suspended by the ED, though he remains at large. The scam also involves serious allegations against 27 educational institutions from Himachal Pradesh and other states, including 19 from within the state. Several individuals linked to these institutions have already been arrested by the CBI.
The ED also took action by attaching assets worth Rs 4.5 crore from a Punjab-based institute involved in the scandal, including a study center in Una, Himachal Pradesh. The High Court has been closely monitoring the case, seeking regular updates, as the scandal continues to uncover disturbing details about the misuse of government funds intended for the education and welfare of students.
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