Bengaluru, 25 JUNE

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at 18 places in the State on Wednesday in connection with a “seat-blocking” scam in private engineering colleges in Bengaluru, sources said.

The probe agency’s Bengaluru office combed the premises of the accused colleges; the trustee of BMS College and their main associates; the offices and residences of a few private education consultants; and those of a few “seat-blocking agents”.

Officials of the ED said that the main accused in this case are the Bhusanayana Mukundadas Sreenivasaiah College of Engineering, Akash Institute of Engineering and Technology, and New Horizon College of Engineering.

"These colleges and their associates are suspected of being involved in financial irregularities related to the seat allocation process."

In the case, seats in private engineering colleges were allegedly being blocked, possibly to be later sold at a premium, depriving deserving candidates of fair admission opportunities.

The colleges or their promoters could not be contacted for a comment on these charges and the ED action against them.

The investigation is being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, they said.