Himachal Drone Controversy Prompts Calls for CBI Probe as Polytechnic Student Falls Victim to Cyber FraudHimachal Pradesh
2 Nov 2026, 8:39 am (1 hour ago)· 0

Himachal Drone Controversy Prompts Calls for CBI Probe as Polytechnic Student Falls Victim to Cyber Fraud

A comprehensive CBI inquiry has been demanded after Hamirpur polytechnic student Sarvesh Sharma fell victim to an elaborate cyber scam involving a fake drone project before sustaining severe injuries.

A high-level investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been sought following an intricate cyber fraud involving Sarvesh Sharma, a computer engineering student from the Government Polytechnic College Hamirpur (Badu), who sustained critical injuries after falling from his hostel building. The student is currently undergoing medical treatment at PGI Chandigarh, where Himachal Pradesh Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani visited him to assess his physical condition and wish him a swift recovery.

Emergence of Deceptive Schemes Targeting Academic Innovation

During his hospital visit, Rajesh Dharmani stated that Sarvesh Sharma fell prey to severe cyber fraud, stressing that the entire controversy warrants rigorous and exhaustive scrutiny. The minister pointed out that cybercrime has traditionally manifested in the form of financial extortion, unauthorized bank transfers, and monetary swindles targeting everyday citizens. However, deceptive syndicates targeting an aspiring engineering student's academic and technical pursuits represent an alarming and dangerous dimension in the digital landscape.

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Push for Central Agency Oversight and Stronger Safeguards

To establish the unvarnished facts of the sequence of events and ensure stringent accountability for the perpetrators, Dharmani suggested handing the inquiry over to the Central Bureau of Investigation. He emphasized that the evolving patterns of cybercrime necessitate decisive intervention from the union administration.

Urging institutional intervention, the technical education minister stated that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs alongside the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology must formulate a comprehensive preventive strategy. Dharmani highlighted that educational projects, scientific initiatives, and intellectual endeavors undertaken by college students need structured safeguards against sophisticated cyber deception. He further noted that the central government must develop tight surveillance protocols and upgrade investigative machinery alongside cyber statutes to prevent similar ordeals from ensnaring young scholars in the future.

The Multi-Crore Defence Claim and Suspicious Fall

The sequence of events traces back to September 23, 2026, when Sarvesh Sharma publicly announced that he had been granted funding worth 3.5 crore rupees from the military to engineer drones. The announcement initially brought widespread attention to the young computer engineering student at Government Polytechnic College Hamirpur.

The scenario reversed sharply on October 27, when the Indian Army formally dismissed the student's assertions, terming the defense funding claim entirely fraudulent. Later that very same day, Sarvesh sustained severe injuries under suspicious circumstances after falling from the third floor of his polytechnic college hostel. Given the gravity of his trauma, he was transferred to PGI Chandigarh, where specialized medical care continues.

Questions & Answers

Who is Sarvesh Sharma and where does he study?
Sarvesh Sharma is a computer engineering student at the Government Polytechnic College Hamirpur (Badu).
What initial assertion did Sarvesh Sharma make regarding his drone initiative?
On September 23, 2026, he claimed that the military had granted him 3.5 crore rupees in funding to manufacture drones.
How did the Indian Army react to the funding claim?
On October 27, the Indian Army officially rejected the student's assertion, confirming that the claim was entirely fake.
What injury did Sarvesh Sharma sustain and where is he being treated?
On the day his claim was debunked, he fell from the third floor of his hostel under suspicious circumstances and was transferred to PGI Chandigarh.
What demand was raised by Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani?
He highlighted that the student fell prey to cyber deception and recommended transferring the inquiry to the CBI for a transparent investigation.
What intervention did the minister seek from union authorities?
He urged the Union Home and IT ministries to formulate a robust defense strategy and regulatory apparatus to protect academic projects from digital con artists.

Comments 5

Aisha Khan@aisha-khan·5m ago

Man, these cyber scammers are now targeting students over projects and funding, it's genuinely scary to think about. What happened to Sarvesh is horrifying, I just hope he recovers soon. But I really don't understand how these fraudsters get such precise info on what a student is building in the first place.

Ravikash Gupta@ravikash·27m ago

It is shocking how students' projects are now becoming targets of such digital fraud. A CBI probe is the only way the truth will come out.

Arjun Mehta@arjun-mehta·27m ago

Ravikash, you are right, but how will the truth about who made that three-and-a-half crore funding claim and why ever come out?

Rohan Verma@rohan-verma·53m ago

What happened to the student is truly frightening. Cyber crooks have reached a point where they are now targeting student projects. Hopefully, a CBI probe will bring out the truth and deliver justice.

Karan Malhotra@karan-malhotra·53m ago

Spot on, Rohan. In several cyber cases I've tracked, fraudsters keep finding new tricks, but targeting a student's project like this is genuinely shocking.

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