Bail plea rejected, Manav Bharti varsity chairman held

SHIMLA: The special investigation team (SIT) of police on Friday arrested the chairman of Manav Bharti University (MBU), Raj Kumar Rana, after the Himachal Pradesh high court refused to grant him an anticipatory bail.

Rana was arrested on the court premises as soon as his bail plea was rejected.

He has been taken to Solan for interrogation, said additional superintendent of police Shiv Kumar. This is the fourth arrest in the case.

Last week, the SIT had arrested KK Singh, former registrar of the university.

Two university officials—registrar Anupama Thakur and assistant registrar Munish Goel—were arrested in March.

Rana’s arrest was delayed due to the Covid-19 outbreak. He, however, had sent his son and wife abroad on March 7 soon after the case was registered.

The fake degree scam, which was unearthed in February this year, after the University Grants Commission (UGC) received an anonymous complaint, involves the alleged sale of more than five lakh degrees by two private universities in Himachal, including MBU, Solan and APG University, Shimla.

The UGC had informed the state government about the alleged sale of fake degrees by the two universities seeking an appropriate action.

A case under sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code was registered against the university officials for cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy on March 3.

The investigation revealed that MBU had issued several fake degrees to students.

It also revealed that Rana and his family also possessed fake degrees.

Since then, cases have been filed against MBU at various places, including Datia in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Lucknow, Bilaspur and Pune.

According to police sources, the SIT has also written to various bar councils and institutions of the country informing them about fake degrees issued to several people, many of whom may have obtained jobs in government and private sector on the basis of these degrees.

RANA’S ARREST WAS DELAYED DUE TO THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK; HE HAD SENT HIS SON AND WIFE ABROAD ON MARCH 7 SOON AFTER THE CASE WAS REGISTERED