Manav Bharti University scam: 36,000 fake degrees detected… just the tip of iceberg

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 30

The fake degree racket of Manav Bharti University (MBU) in Solan is turning into one of the biggest scams of its kind following the detection of 36,000 fake degrees from 14 of the 55 hard disks scanned so far by a special investigation team of the CID.

This is just the tip of the iceberg as the number of fake degrees is set to multiply manifold with the scanning of the remaining 41 hard disks. The scam is likely to run into crores of rupees, said the investigation team.

The passport of main accused Raj Kumar Rana, the chairman of Manav Bharti Charitable Trust who is running the MBU, has been revoked and extradition proceedings to bring back his wife, son and daughter from Australia are in progress, Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu told mediapersons here today.

Of the Rs 440-crore properties belonging to Rana and his family, those valuing Rs 194.74 crore are linked to the proceeds of the crime and have been attached, the DGP said, adding that this is the biggest-ever attachment of properties of any educational institution in the country in a money laundering case.

ED attaches Rs194-cr assets of key accused

• Under PMLA, the ED has attached Rs194.17-cr properties and fixed deposits of main accused Raj Kumar Rana (Manav Bharti Charitable Trust chairman) and his family members
• Rana allegedly purchased these properties by selling fake degrees over the past one decade; UGC had alerted the authorities in 2019 about the fake degree racket by Manav Bharti University in Solan