CBI grants 5-day remand to ED officer in Himachal scholarship scam

A CBI court in Chandigarh has granted a five-day remand to Vishal Deep, an ED officer, in connection with a bribery case registered by the Central Investigation Agency (CIA) related to the Himachal scholarship scam. Deep was produced before the court by Ambala Jail authorities following a production warrant issued by the court.

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CBI had registered an FIR against Deep, former Assistant Director-II (Intelligence) in Shimla, on December 22, 2024, under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The allegations stem from complaints filed by directors of two educational institutions, who claim that Deep, along with two relatives, extorted money from them by threatening arrest in the investigation he was overseeing.

Public Prosecutor Narender Singh argued for the remand, stating that it was necessary to unearth the larger conspiracy in the case. However, the defence counsel opposed the remand, claiming that the investigation had already been conducted and the remand was unnecessary.

The court ultimately granted the five-day remand. This development comes after the court dismissed Deep’s anticipatory bail application on Wednesday.

The case is linked to the ongoing investigation into the Rs 181 crore scholarship scam in Himachal Pradesh.