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A Chandigarh PMLA court has flagged 332 missing pages in the ED’s complaint linked to the Himachal scholarship scam case.
What Did the Court Find in the ED’s Complaint?
Special judge Bhawna Jain, in an order dated November 10, recorded that pages 3,425 to 3,756 were missing from the certified copies of documents submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The discrepancy was identified by the court’s record official, known as the Ahlmad, and subsequently confirmed by the agency’s special public prosecutor.
The missing documents formed part of the prosecution record in an alleged ₹2.5 crore bribery case involving former ED assistant director Vishal Deep and others. The court consequently proceeded on the assumption that the complaint did not contain those pages.
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What Directions Has the Court Issued?
The special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court has scheduled the matter for January 5, 2027, to conduct a preliminary hearing on whether the accused should be summoned.
The court also directed that notices be issued to the accused under the first proviso to Section 223(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), allowing them an opportunity to be heard before any decision on summoning.
The judge further dispensed with recording preliminary evidence because the complaint had been filed through ED assistant director Bijender Dayal, an authorised public servant. His personal appearance was exempted, and the special public prosecutor was directed to represent him during the proceedings.
How Is the Bribery Case Linked to the Scholarship Scam?
The proceedings arise from allegations of a ₹2.5 crore bribery arrangement connected to the investigation into the alleged ₹181 crore Himachal Pradesh scholarship scam.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a separate chargesheet in February 2025 against four individuals, including Vishal Deep, his brother Vikasdeep, cousin Neeraj and CBI deputy superintendent of police Balbir Singh.
According to the CBI’s allegations, operators of private educational institutions were pressured to pay bribes to influence the investigation and avoid arrest. The agency also alleged that Balbir Singh acted as an intermediary in the arrangement.
What Was the Original Scholarship Scam?
The alleged scholarship scam involved irregularities in funds disbursed to educational institutions in Himachal Pradesh between 2012 and 2017. The CBI initiated its investigation in 2019, naming 29 educational institutions in fraud-related cases.
The ED subsequently launched a money laundering investigation, with Vishal Deep, then posted at its Shimla sub-zonal office, handling the probe.
The present proceedings before the Chandigarh PMLA court concern the ED’s money laundering complaint arising from the alleged bribery arrangement. They remain separate from the CBI’s corruption prosecution. The court will consider the question of summoning the accused at the scheduled January hearing.
