ED conducts raids in Himachal scholarship 'scam' linked money laundering case

Premises of officials of the Himachal Pradesh education department and private universities, and others were searched as part of a money laundering probe linked to an alleged scam in grant of scholarships to SC, ST and OBC students in the state, the ED said on Wednesday. The raids were launched on Tuesday at 24 locations in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi.

Unaccounted cash of Rs 75 lakh was seized and Rs 2.55 crore lying in bank accounts frozen as part of the action, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in a statement.

Premises of officials working in the state education department and banks, and owners of entities related to private universities and institutions, who were involved in 'large-scale misappropriation of disbursement of scholarship funds' were covered, it said.

The money laundering case stems from a FIR of the Central Bureau of Investigation with regard to scholarship disbursed by the Directorate of Higher Education, Himachal Pradesh, under the post-matric scholarship scheme for SC, ST and OBC students. The agency said it was analysing 'incriminating' documents and digital devices that were seized from various locations during the searches.