Shimla, April 25: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has received court approval to seize two properties belonging to Mandeep Rana, a key accused in a ₹387 crore fake degree scam linked to Human Bharti University in Himachal Pradesh. Rana has been declared a ‘fugitive economic offender.’
On April 23, the ED’s Shimla sub-zonal office obtained a seizure order from a Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The investigation commenced based on three FIRs registered at the Dharampur police station in Solan district, citing various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to scheduled offenses under the PMLA. These FIRs pertain to a significant fake degree scam involving Human Bharti University and its affiliated institutions.
The ED’s probe revealed that Raj Kumar Rana, along with his co-accused, including his wife Ashwani Kanwar and son Mandeep Rana, orchestrated a criminal conspiracy. They operated a well-planned racket selling fake degrees through agents and intermediaries.
According to the ED, these fraudulent degrees were issued in the name of Human Bharti University, collecting money from students. The scale of this fraud is alarming, with the proceeds of crime estimated at around ₹387 crore. This constitutes a serious financial crime, jeopardizing the careers, dreams, and futures of countless young individuals. The accused placed these youths in significant academic and professional risk for minimal financial gain.
The agency further stated that the proceeds from the crime were systematically laundered through multiple layers and subsequently invested in purchasing movable and immovable properties in the names of the accused and their associated entities across various states.
To date, the ED has seized assets worth approximately ₹200 crore. The decisive authority constituted under the PMLA has confirmed all these seizures. The ED noted that Mandeep Rana deliberately ignored court summons and chose to evade legal proceedings.
Despite repeated summons and extensive efforts by the ED to ensure his presence, the accused has continuously refused to engage with the investigation or submit to the jurisdiction of Indian courts.
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