Assets Attached Across Four States in Expanding Crackdown
A significant development has taken place in the Manav Bharti University (MBU) fake degree scam. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached seven immovable properties valued at Rs 1.74 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The properties belong to three alleged commission agents: Abhishek Gupta, Himanshu Sharma, and Ajay Kumar, who are accused of facilitating the sale of fake academic degrees across the country.
The newly attached assets are spread across Bihar, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. According to the ED, these commission agents played a pivotal role in connecting buyers of counterfeit degrees with university officials. The agents reportedly received a share of the illegal proceeds generated through these transactions.
FCRF Launches India’s Premier Certified Data Protection Officer Program Aligned with DPDP Act
The probe stems from three FIRs registered at the Dharampur police station in Solan, Himachal Pradesh. Investigations revealed that Raj Kumar Rana, president of MBU, masterminded the scam in collusion with a widespread network of middlemen. The ED has estimated the total proceeds of crime (PoC) to be around Rs 387 crore, laundered through investments in real estate and other assets.
Over Rs 200 Crore Worth of Properties Now Seized
The latest attachment adds to two earlier rounds of property seizures. On January 29, 2021, the ED had attached assets worth Rs 194.14 crore, followed by another attachment of Rs 5.8 crore on January 10, 2025. Both of these were confirmed by the adjudicating authority under PMLA. With the current seizure, the cumulative value of assets attached by the ED in the MBU fake degree scam has reached an estimated Rs 202 crore.
In addition, the ED had filed a prosecution complaint under PMLA before a special court in Shimla, naming 14 individuals and two entities, including Raj Kumar Rana. The court took cognizance of the charges on January 4, 2023.
Officials say the scam involved the issuance of thousands of fake degrees, potentially compromising the credibility of academic institutions and affecting employment sectors nationwide. The ED has indicated that further investigations are ongoing and more attachments are likely as the financial trail unfolds.