Shimla, July 10 (IANS) Acting against a Himachal Pradesh university and its agents in the Rs 387-crore fake degree scam, the ED provisionally attached seven properties worth Rs 1.74 crore in Delhi, Haryana, UP and Bihar, an official said on Thursday.

The properties belong to accused commission agents, namely, Abhishek Gupta, Himanshu Sharma and Ajay Kumar, involved in the scam surrounding Manav Bharti University (MBU), Solan, with proceeds of crime (POC) adding up to Rs 387 crore.

With the latest seizure, the total attachment of properties in this case stands at Rs 202 crore, said an ED official.

The assets were confiscated under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with three FIRs registered by Dharampur Police Station, Solan, under various penal provisions.

The ED investigation revealed that the accused Raj Kumar Rana, President, Manav Bharti University (MBU), Solan, in connivance with other co-accused persons, including various commission agents, was engaged in the large-scale sale of fake degrees issued in the name of MBU, said an ED statement.

The commission agents played a pivotal role in this racket by facilitating contact between prospective buyers of fake degrees and the university authorities.

“In return, they received a percentage of the proceeds from the illegal sale of fake degrees as commission,” said the statement.

The POC generated through this sale of fake degrees is quantified at Rs 387 Crore. These illicit proceeds were subsequently utilised by Raj Kumar Rana and his associates, including the commission agents, for the acquisition of various movable and immovable properties across multiple states, the ED said.

The ED had also filed a Prosecution Complaint (PC) before the Special Court (PMLA), Shimla, against 14 people and two entities under the provisions of PMLA, 2002. The Special Court had taken cognisance of this PC on January 4, 2023.

Earlier in this case, the ED had also provisionally attached movable and immovable properties worth Rs 194.14 crore on January 29, 2021. This Provisional Attachment Order had subsequently been confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority, PMLA.

The ED provisionally attached seven immovable properties worth Rs 5.8 crore on January 10, 2025, in this matter. This Provisional Attachment Order has also been confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority, PMLA.

–IANS

rchdan