ED raids Panchkula residence of scholarship scam accused

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today conducted a raid at the Sector-16 residence of Vikas Bansal, a director of an educational institution in Himachal who was implicated in a multi-crore scholarship scam involving the misappropriation of funds intended for SC, ST and OBC students.

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The accused is also a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) complainant against ED Assistant Director Vishal Deep, who was overseeing the investigation against Bansal.

Vishal allegedly demanded money from Bansal by threatening him with arrest. Following the complaint, the CBI registered an First Information Report (FIR) against Deep on December 22, 2024, under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The allegations were based on claims from directors of two educational institutions, who asserted that Vishal, along with two relatives, extorted money from them under duress.

Vishal Deep was arrested by Panchkula police on January 10, 2025, following a complaint by Bansal’s brother, Rajnish Bansal, who alleged that his family received threats from an individual claiming to be gangster Rohit Gujjar, demanding Rs 50 lakh on behalf of Vishal Deep. He was brought from Mumbai for questioning and subsequently taken into custody.

In a related development, the Panchkula police arrested Kuldeep Sharma, a resident of Haridwar, in connection with the extortion case linked to Deep.

Kuldeep is accused of being involved in a plot to extort Rs 50 lakh from the family of Rajnish Bansal. The arrest has marked the fourth in the ongoing investigation.

Meanwhile, the agency has yet to release an official statement detailing the findings of the raid.