The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has stepped up its investigation into the alleged Rs 14-crore University Grants Commission (UGC) scholarship scam at Punjabi University, Patiala. It has sought land records of six properties from the Revenue Department’s Sub-Registrar office.
According to a letter issued by the Directorate of Enforcement to the Tehsildar/Sub-Registrar, Patiala, the properties are linked to the main accused, Nishu Choudhary, and co-accused Kavita Choudhary, Ravi Kapoor and Pooja Kapoor. The agency is examining whether the alleged proceeds of crime were used to acquire immovable assets.
Investigations so far have indicated that varsity staff, students and external accomplices forged signatures of university authorities, fabricated official seals and generated more than 800 fake bills to divert scholarship funds into dummy bank accounts.
The alleged embezzlement came to light during an internal audit conducted by the university in 2021, which reviewed records dating back to 2011. An FIR was registered on August 1, 2021, at the Urban Estate police station on a complaint by the Registrar.
Initially, seven individuals, including the main accused, were named in the FIR. However, the investigation later expanded as the police traced multiple fraudulent transactions, bringing more than 100 individuals under the scanner.
