Manav Bharti University case: court declares promoters fugitives, allows confiscation of property
A special PMLA court in Shimla has declared two promoters of the Solan-based private university fugitive economic offenders and allowed the ED to confiscate property, as the agency says about Rs 200 crore has been attached.
The money-laundering case over degrees allegedly sold in the name of Manav Bharti University, a private university in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, has moved into asset confiscation. This follows a court order declaring two of the university's promoters fugitive economic offenders.
Fugitive declaration
On 3 January 2026, a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Shimla declared Mandeep Rana and his mother Ashoni Kanwar fugitive economic offenders under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, according to a PTI report published by ETV Bharat. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) says both are based in Australia.
The report says the ED registered its case in 2020. In December 2022 it filed a chargesheet against the university's promoter, Raj Kumar Rana, and 15 others. The court took cognisance in January 2023 and summoned the two promoters. When they did not appear, it issued open-ended non-bailable warrants in November 2023.
Property confiscation
On 23 April 2026, the special PMLA court allowed the ED's plea to confiscate two properties belonging to Mandeep Rana, according to reports in Social News XYZ (carrying a wire report) and HimbuMail. Both reports quote the ED as saying it has attached assets worth nearly Rs 200 crore so far, and that the attachments have been confirmed by the adjudicating authority.
The ED's probe is based on FIRs registered at Dharampur police station in Solan district. The agency alleges that Raj Kumar Rana, with his wife and son, sold degrees in the university's name through agents. It puts the alleged proceeds of crime at about Rs 387 crore, which it says was laundered into property in several states. These are allegations, and the trial has yet to conclude.
Why it matters
The case is one of the largest money-laundering cases in India involving a university, and it shows how long such cases take. The police FIRs date from 2020, and confiscation began only in 2026. For people holding degrees from the period under investigation, the case is a reminder that a certificate's appearance proves little. What counts is whether the university's own examination records support it.
Employers reviewing Manav Bharti University degrees should ask the institution, or the authorities managing its records, for written verification of enrolment, examinations and results, rather than relying on the certificate alone.
This News Desk report summarises information published by the sources above, written in our own words. Persons named in criminal matters are accused, not convicted, unless a court has ruled otherwise. To report an error, use our contact page.
More from the News Desk
- Mewar University fake degree case: SOG arrests reach 15, state bars new admissions
- Rajasthan winds up OPJS University and orders probes into 10 more private universities
- CMJ University, Meghalaya: ED says attachments in fake degree case now exceed Rs 69 crore
- Monad University fake degree case: where the STF and ED investigations stand