₹181 Crore Himachal Scholarship Scam, 332 Pages Go Missing From ED Records As Court Examines Bribery Case Against Former ED Officer Vishal Deep

A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Chandigarh has flagged the absence of 332 pages from the certified copies of documents submitted by the Enforcement Directorate, ED in its prosecution complaint against former ED assistant director Vishal Deep and others.

In an order dated November 10, Special Judge Bhawna Jain recorded that pages 3,425 to 3,756 were missing from the documents placed before the court. The discrepancy was first identified by the court’s record official, known as the Ahlmad, and was subsequently confirmed by the ED’s special public prosecutor.

The missing pages formed part of the prosecution record in an alleged ₹2.5 crore bribery arrangement connected to the investigation into the ₹181 crore Himachal Pradesh scholarship scam. Following the confirmation of the discrepancy, the court proceeded on the assumption that the complaint did not contain the missing pages.

Court Schedules Next Hearing For January 5, 2027

The Chandigarh PMLA court has scheduled the matter for January 5, 2027, when it will conduct a preliminary hearing to consider whether the accused should be summoned in the case.

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). The provision gives the accused an opportunity to be heard before the court decides whether to take the matter forward by issuing summons.

The judge also dispensed with the recording of preliminary evidence, noting that the complaint had been filed by ED assistant director Bijender Dayal, an authorised public servant. His personal appearance was exempted, with the special public prosecutor directed to represent him during the proceedings.

The two sections establish the procedural development without getting ahead of the court’s findings. We can now move to Section 3, introducing the ₹2.5 crore bribery allegations and the individuals named in the separate CBI case.

How The ₹2.5 Crore Bribery Case Emerged

The bribery allegations emerged during the ED’s investigation into the Himachal Pradesh scholarship scam, with private educational institution operators accusing officials of demanding money in exchange for influencing the probe and avoiding arrests.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered two FIRs on December 22, 2024, following complaints by Bhupinder Kumar Sharma, chairman of Dev Bhumi Group of Institutions in Una, and Rajneesh Bansal, chairman of Himalayan Group of Professional Institutions in Sirmaur.

The complaints alleged that ED officials investigating the scholarship scam had demanded bribes from the institution operators to prevent coercive action against them.

Former ED assistant director Vishal Deep was among those accused. The CBI also named his brother Vikasdeep, cousin Neeraj and its own deputy superintendent of police Balbir Singh in the subsequent bribery investigation. According to the agency’s allegations, Balbir Singh acted as an intermediary in the arrangement, facilitating communication and the alleged transfer of money.

In February 2025, the CBI filed a separate chargesheet against the four individuals in connection with the alleged ₹2.5 crore bribery arrangement. The case brought an additional dimension to the scholarship scam investigation, with officials entrusted with investigating financial irregularities themselves facing allegations of corruption.

The current proceedings before the Chandigarh PMLA court concern the ED’s prosecution complaint arising from the alleged bribery arrangement. They are separate from the CBI’s corruption case against the accused.

What Was The Original ₹181 Crore Himachal Scholarship Scam?

The original scholarship scam involved the alleged diversion of approximately ₹181 crore in pre-matric and post-matric scholarship funds intended for students belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities in Himachal Pradesh.

The irregularities were reported during the 2012–2017 period, when scholarship funds meant to support students’ education were allegedly diverted to private educational institutions through fraudulent claims. The schemes were administered through the Himachal Pradesh Directorate of Higher Education, which was responsible for overseeing the disbursement of funds.

The fraud came to light after complaints emerged that students in the tribal Spiti valley of Lahaul and Spiti district had not received their scholarships for several years despite being eligible beneficiaries. The matter eventually led to a CBI investigation in 2019.

According to the investigation, several institutions allegedly uploaded false student details on the scholarship portal to claim funds for beneficiaries who were either never enrolled or had left their courses. Other alleged irregularities included changing students’ caste categories and course details, showing day scholars as hostellers to claim higher amounts, and submitting inflated or bogus fee structures.

The ED’s investigation also found allegations of forged documents, including fake institutional letterheads and fraudulent student records.

In some instances, the same Aadhaar details were allegedly used to claim scholarships for multiple students. The agency stated that funds obtained through these fraudulent claims were subsequently used to acquire movable and immovable properties in the names of the accused and their family members.

CBI Filed Chargesheets Against 20 Institutions And 105 Individuals

The CBI registered the scholarship scam case in 2019 following a request from the Himachal Pradesh government. The investigation was subsequently monitored by the Himachal Pradesh High Court, with the agency submitting periodic status reports on its progress.

In March 2024, the CBI announced that it had concluded its investigation and filed chargesheets against 20 educational institutions and 105 individuals. Those named included owners and officials of private educational institutions, personnel from the Directorate of Higher Education in Shimla, bank officials and other private individuals allegedly involved in the misuse of scholarship funds.

The agency also reported that 19 accused had been arrested during the investigation. They included chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, directors and employees of educational institutions, along with bank and education department officials.

The investigation identified several alleged methods used to divert scholarship funds. These included the use of fake institutional letterheads to establish false affiliations, fabricated student records, duplicate Aadhaar details and fraudulent bank accounts. Investigators also found that some institutions had allegedly claimed scholarships for students who were not enrolled or had discontinued their studies.

The CBI further alleged that approximately 80% of the scholarship money was paid directly to private institutions, even as eligible students were deprived of financial assistance. The investigation also brought government officials under scrutiny, including former higher education department superintendent grade-II Arvind Rajta, who was accused of diverting more than ₹28 crore to nine allegedly fake institutions in which his wife held a 33% stake.

ED’s Money Laundering Investigation

The Enforcement Directorate initiated its money laundering investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on the basis of the CBI’s FIR registered on May 8, 2019. The agency examined the alleged proceeds generated through fraudulent scholarship claims and their subsequent use by the accused.

In its investigation, the ED alleged that scholarship funds obtained through fraudulent claims were used to acquire movable and immovable properties in the names of the accused and their family members.

In February 2024, the ED announced that it had filed a prosecution complaint before the Special PMLA Court in Shimla against educational institutions, their associates, officials of the Directorate of Higher Education and bank personnel.

The agency had also reported searches, seizure of ₹75 lakh in cash, freezing of bank balances worth approximately ₹2.55 crore and provisional attachment of assets valued at ₹10.7 crore.

What Happens Next?

The immediate proceedings will now return to the Chandigarh PMLA court on January 5, 2027, when it is scheduled to consider whether the accused should be summoned in connection with the ED’s complaint.

The court’s observation regarding the 332 missing pages adds a procedural development to the bribery case, which itself emerged from the investigation into one of Himachal Pradesh’s major scholarship fraud cases. The proceedings remain ongoing, and the question of summoning the accused is yet to be decided.