Himachal Scholarship Scam: ED Freezes Properties Worth Rs 18.27 Crore
Himalayan Group of Professional Institutions Kala Amb
Shimla, February 21 – In a critical development in the scandal concerning the receipt of scholarships in Himachal Pradesh, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken strong steps and has provisionally seized movables worth Rs 18.27 crore, including five immovable properties. The MLPA 2002 properties include valuable pieces of land and Flats situated in the states Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. The decision is a significant step in the investigation into the sprawling fraud that has rocked the state’s educational landscape.
Among these properties are 125 bighas of agricultural land and two flats in Panchkula, Haryana, which were reportedly purchased with money obtained through fraudulent scholarship claims, according to the ED. ED sources said during the investigation, it was also found that money earned from the scholarship scam had been invested in these properties that were registered in the name of the trustees of the Maa Saraswati Educational Trust, including Preeti Bansal and Richa Bansal.
Fake Documents and Inducements in Scholarship Scam
The scholarship scam, exposed recently, involves mega-sized fraud by the Himalayan Group of Professional Institutions (HGPI), located in Kala Amb in Sirmaur. The group posed as one supplying post-matric scholarships to pupils, such as Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) offered via the Himachal Pradesh Directorate of higher education.
The institution made ineligible claims for scholarship funds for students who did not either attend the institution or left the courses prematurely between 2013 and 2018. The agency claimed that the institution falsified documents and manufactured students to obtain additional funding. Some of the students were not registered at the institution and in their names, full scholarships were demanded while the student was not there.
To get the maximum amount of help the institution also forged the students’ status, declaring these students as hostellers instead of day-scholars so that they would get a higher amount of scholarship, as reported. Consolidating the fraud was a fictional fee structure under which distance learning courses were offered to rip off the government more.
ED’s Probe and Asset Seizure
The ED found that the loot of scholarship fraud was used to buy many valuable properties, one of which is the 125 bighas of agricultural land in Nahan, Sirmaur district, registered in the name of the Maa Saraswati Educational Trust. Apart from agricultural land, the ED also froze two flats in Panchkula, Haryana, which were registered in the names of the trust’s trustees, namely, Preeti Bansal and Richa Bansal.
The ED’s investigation has been able to establish that the funds that went into purchasing these assets were directly linked to the fraudulent scholarship claims, which highlights that the scale of the scam and the misuse of government schemes aimed at the education of outpatient students further becomes apparent in the light of this fact.
Previous ED Actions and Seizures
Enforcement Directorate has already done considerable seizures in the case of this case. The ED had earlier froze bank accounts worth Rs 2.80 crore and seized Rs 80 lakh cash. Till now, properties worth a whopping Rs 29 crore have been seized in the scam.
The ED’s tough stance in the case also sends a message from the government that financial irregularities will be investigated firmly, and that misuse of public funds, especially those in institutions which cater to underprivileged students, will be cracked down upon.
Arrests Are Made and an Investigation Is Underway
So far, the ED has arrested six people in the scholarship scam. Two of the accused were arrested in January 2025 and are currently in judicial custody. These arrests followed the detention of four other persons which took place in August 2023.
Those who were accused in this matter include the trustees stated that the Himalayan Group of Professional Institutions, played a major role in organizing the fraud. The ED is still continued with its probe and in its orders stated that more arrests are likely as it identifies some other persons behind the scam.
Broader Impact of the Scam
Such embezzlement of funds from government scholarships had shocked the public and raised serious questions over the integrity of institutions managing public funds. And the fraudulent claims meant that students from marginalized communities were denied much-needed financial assistance, not just that they were cheated out of money that was meant for them, but the system that is supposed to work to give them assistance has now been shaken.
This action will send a clear signal to anyone indulging in such acts that the a law will not spare anyone and action would be taken both to protect money looted from the public and to arrest the fraudsters.
Stricter Oversight and Accountability
The ED’s continuing action over the case highlights how much the government is serious about putting an end to corruption at all levels especially in the field like education where public money has to be dealt with utmost responsibility. The freezing of assets of Rs 29 crore and seizure of properties worth Rs 18.27 crore, gives a clear indication that the authorities are finally taking the issue seriously.
The scandal not only highlights the darkness in the educational system of India but also at the state level, which reminds everyone that timely audits and investigations should become the norm rather than the exception. The government is anticipated to adopt stricter measures to prevent the misuse of public funds, ensuring that future educational aid will go to the people who truly need it.
With more arrests likely and other property seizures expected, the full extent of the fraud may yet come to light, sending a strong message to those engaged in the activities that they will not escape punishment.
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