A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Shimla has declared Mandeep Rana and his mother Ashoni Kanwar as Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO). The declaration relates to a money laundering case tied to a fake degree scam in Himachal Pradesh. Both are promoters of the Solan-based Manav Bharti University. The main promoter Raj Kumar Rana, Kanwar's husband, is also involved. According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Mandeep Rana and Ashoni Kanwar are currently in Australia. The ED filed a charge sheet in December 2022 against Raj Kumar Rana and 15 others. A special PMLA court took cognisance in January 2023 and issued summons to Kanwar and Mandeep Rana. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA) of 2018 targets those who flee India to avoid prosecution, especially in fraud cases of at least ₹100 crore. Earlier, liquor baron Vijay Mallya and UK-based arms consultant Sanjay Bhandari were declared FEOs for similar reasons.