Hamirpur police have registered an FIR in an alleged online fraud case in which a fifth-semester computer engineering student of Government Polytechnic Hamirpur was reportedly led to believe that a grant of ₹3.5 crore had been sanctioned for his project under a defence innovation initiative, police said on Thursday.
The FIR was registered at sadar police station in Hamirpur on a complaint filed by the institute’s principal under Sections 318(2), 319 and 336(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), read with Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
According to the complaint, the student was allegedly induced through carefully crafted digital communications to believe that the grant had been sanctioned under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative of the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) for a project titled “Rudra Edge T-1 (Spectra)”. The DIO is a not-for-profit company established under the Union ministry of defence to foster self-reliance, innovation, and technology development in the defense and aerospace sectors.
However, an official communication received from the DIO in October 2026 clarified that, according to its records, no such grant had been sanctioned or facilitated either to the student or to any start-up associated with him.
The principal has said that the student appears to have fallen victim to an alleged well-orchestrated online fraud. The student is currently undergoing medical treatment at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.
{{/usCountry}}The principal has said that the student appears to have fallen victim to an alleged well-orchestrated online fraud. The student is currently undergoing medical treatment at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.
{{/usCountry}}Police said an investigation has been initiated and relevant documents, electronic correspondence and devices are being examined to establish the sequence of events and identify those responsible.
The police have appealed to the public to refrain from speculation and the circulation of unverified information, while respecting the privacy and dignity of the student and his family.
In an advisory, the police urged students, innovators and educational institutions to independently verify communications claiming approval of grants, selection under government schemes or financial assistance, particularly those purportedly issued by defence, research or innovation organisations.