Himachal Pradesh scholarship 'Scam': ED attaches fresh assets of arrested accused

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday said it has attached fresh assets worth more than Rs 6 crore as part of a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged scholarship scam in the Himachal Pradesh higher education department.

The federal agency said in a statement that a provisional order was issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach five immovable properties located in Mohali, Punjab and Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, in the form of residential plots and flats and deposits kept in 14 bank accounts.

The properties, worth a total of Rs 6.25 crore, belong to Rajdeep Singh and Krishan Kumar, partners in the ASAMS education group of the state. Last year, the agency had attached assets worth about 4.42 crore in this case. The two accused, through the ASAMS Education Group and Skill Development Society, claimed scholarship under the post-matric scheme for SC/ST/OBC students by presenting "false, forged and fabricated" documents, the ED alleged.

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Such claims were "verified" by Arvind Rajta, who was posted at the directorate of higher education of the Himachal Pradesh state government. These three apart from Hitesh Gandhi, vice chairman of the KC group of institutions located at Pandoga, were arrested by the agency in August and they are currently in judicial custody.