In a significant development in the Himachal Pradesh scholarship scam, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has rejected the bail pleas of two senior law enforcement officials—former CBI Deputy Superintendent of Police Balbir Singh and Vishal Deep, Assistant Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Shimla.
The duo is accused of demanding bribes from educational institution heads in exchange for shielding them in investigations linked to alleged financial irregularities in government-funded scholarships.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the case, submitted that both officers not only held positions of trust but also grossly misused their authority for personal gain. The agency termed their actions as a breach of institutional integrity and a betrayal of public trust.
Rejecting the bail applications, Justice Manjari Nehru Kaul observed:
“While the general principle is that bail is the rule and jail the exception, cases involving corruption, abuse of power, and manipulation of the justice process by law enforcement officers warrant a cautious approach—especially when key witnesses are yet to be examined.”
The bribery allegations first came to light on December 22, 2024, when the CBI registered two FIRs following complaints by Bhupinder Kumar Sharma, chairman of Dev Bhumi Group of Institutions in Una, and Rajneesh Bansal, chairman of the Himalayan Group of Professional Institutions in Sirmaur.
According to the CBI, ED officer Vishal Deep demanded illegal gratification from these complainants using encrypted messaging platforms such as Zangi. He allegedly adopted false identities, including the alias “Rahim,” to conceal his involvement. Investigators recovered two vehicles used in the operation—one registered in Vishal Deep’s name and the other in his brother Vikas Deep’s. Both vehicles tested positive for phenolphthalein, indicating bribe handling during a CBI trap operation.
In his defence, Deep claimed that the evidence was purely circumstantial and documentary, with no actual recovery of bribe money from his possession.
The CBI accused Balbir Singh of playing a critical role in facilitating meetings, coordinating communications, and even strategically availing leave on key dates to assist the conspiracy. His involvement was allegedly corroborated by call detail records (CDRs) and CCTV footage from Hotel Lalit in Chandigarh, where meetings linked to the case took place. Furthermore, ₹1.25 crore in cash was recovered from the residence of Vikas Deep, reinforcing the bribery allegations, the agency said.
Singh had argued that he was not initially named in the FIR and was later implicated based on an inconclusive audio recording. However, the court held that the nature of his alleged involvement could not be dismissed at the bail stage.
The court noted that the use of encrypted apps, aliases, and family-registered vehicles reflected a calculated and deliberate modus operandi. It further stated that engaging with the accused outside official channels and facilitating conditions for illicit exchanges pointed toward a strategic design, regardless of whether arrests were made immediately.
In conclusion, the High Court stressed the importance of safeguarding the integrity of the investigative process and ruled that releasing the accused at this stage could potentially lead to tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses.
Both officers remain in custody as investigations continue.
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