Himachal scholarship scam : CBI arrests Delhi DSP in ₹2.5-cr bribery case
Singh was presented before the special CBI court in Chandigarh on Tuesday, where the investigating agency sought a one-day police remand. According to the CBI, Singh exploited his position as the investigating officer in the scholarship scam case to influence proceedings.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested its deputy superintendent of police (DSP), Balbir Singh, posted at the CBI Branch-1 in Delhi, in a ₹2.5-crore bribery case linked to a scholarship scam.
Singh was presented before the special CBI court in Chandigarh on Tuesday, where the investigating agency sought a one-day police remand. According to the CBI, Singh exploited his position as the investigating officer in the scholarship scam case to influence proceedings.
During CBI questioning, former Enforcement Directorate assistant director Vishal Deep alleged that Singh had instigated him to accept a bribe while investigating the scholarship scam in Shimla.
The prosecution revealed that Singh acted as a mediator between the complainant Bhupinder Sharma and Vishal Deep, another accused in the case. The alleged meeting occurred at Hotel Lalit on December 14, 2024, where the bribe amount was negotiated at ₹55 lakh.
Further, the CBI claimed that Singh facilitated the delivery of the bribe on December 22, 2024, near the Aerocity Road in Zirakpur. The CBI claimed that there are incriminating recordings of the DSP’s telephonic conversation with the complainant just prior to the delivery of the bribe during the trap proceedings.
Public prosecutor Narender Singh said that Singh’s custodial interrogation is required for the recovery of the remaining bribe money of ₹1 lakh. He said that the CBI wants to know the modus operandi in committing the offence in conspiracy with the other accused.
Special judge Alka Malik approved the CBI’s request for custody, noting that the accused’s complicity appeared evident at this stage.
The CBI had registered an FIR against Deep, a former assistant director-II (Intelligence) in Shimla, on December 22, 2024, under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The bribery allegations surfaced on December 22, 2024, when the CBI registered two FIRs based on complaints lodged by Bhupinder Kumar Sharma, chairman of Dev Bhumi Group of Institutions, Una, and Rajneesh Bansal, chairman of Himalayan Group of Professional Institutions, Sirmaur. Both accused Deep and other ED officials of “demanding bribes for not arresting them” in connection with cases registered against their institutions.
On January 10 this year, the Panchkula police arrested Vishal Deep for allegedly blackmailing and extorting money from a businessman. The arrest followed a complaint filed by Vishal Bansal, brother of Rajneesh Bansal, alleging threats to his family.
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