Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Shimla has provisionally attached seven immovable properties
worth Rs. 1.74 Crore (as per the sale deed value) as Proceeds of Crime (POC) belonging to accused
commission agents namely, Abhishek Gupta, Himanshu Sharma and Ajay Kumar under the provisions of
the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in the Fake Degree Scam case involving Manav
Bharti University (MBU), Solan. These seven immovable properties are located in Bihar, Delhi, Uttar
Pradesh and Haryana.
ED initiated investigation on the basis of three FIRs registered by Dharampur Police Station, District
Solan, Himachal Pradesh under various sections of IPC, 1860.
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. 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. The POC generated through this sale of fake degrees is quantified at Rs 387 Crore.
These illicit proceeds were subsequently utilized by Raj Kumar Rana and his associates, including the
commission agents, for the acquisition of various movable and immovable properties across multiple states.
ED had also filed a Prosecution Complaint (PC) before Hon’ble Special Court (PMLA), Shimla,
Himachal Pradesh against 14 persons and 02 entities including Raj Kumar Rana and various commission
agents under the provisions of PMLA, 2002. The Hon’ble Special Court, Shimla had taken cognizance of
this PC on 04.01.2023.
Earlier in this case, ED had also provisionally attached movable and immovable properties worth Rs.
194.14 Crore on 29.01.2021. This Provisional Attachment Order had subsequently been confirmed by the
Ld. Adjudicating Authority, PMLA. Further, ED had also provisionally attached seven immovable properties
worth Rs 5.8 Crore on 10.01.2025 in this matter. This Provisional Attachment Order has also been confirmed
by the Ld. Adjudicating Authority, PMLA.
Hence, the total attachment of properties in this case at present stands at Rs. 202 Crore (approx.).
