The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested Pardeep Kumar, a senior IAS officer on his retirement day, for his alleged involvement in the ₹504-crore fund-diversion case linked to Haryana government departments. According to the latest reports, Kumar, a member of the Haryana Civil Services inducted into the Indian Administrative Service as part of the 2011 batch, was arrested for allegedly diverting Haryana government funds into an unauthorised bank account. The CBI alleged that Kumar bypassed departmental procedures to transfer funds of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) into an unauthorised bank account in Chandigarh, where the money was intended to be placed in fixed deposits but no deposits were created. The investigation found that the funds were diverted through fraudulent debit transactions, resulting in a net loss of ₹169 crore to the Haryana government - the largest loss suffered by any department in the wider multi-crore fraud.
The CBI has arrested two former banking officials for their alleged involvement in the fraud. Shamim Dar, then area head of IDFC First Bank, and Charanjeet Singh Randhawa, then branch manager of AU Small Finance Bank's Mohali branch, were arrested on Tuesday and are being produced before the Special CBI Court in Panchkula. The agency had earlier received mandatory approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act to investigate Kumar. As per the CBI, both officials played key roles in facilitating the opening of bank accounts and processing fraudulent transactions through which public funds were diverted. The agency stated that evidence collected during the investigation points to their involvement in routing money through accounts created for the purpose.
The alleged fraud took place at IDFC First Bank's Sector 32 branch in Chandigarh, where surplus funds belonging to eight Haryana government departments were allegedly siphoned off through forged or non-existent fixed deposits and debit notes. The CBI's investigation revealed that both Shamim Dar and Charanjeet Singh Randhawa played incriminating roles in facilitating the opening of bank accounts and enabling transactions through which public money was siphoned off. The diverted funds were subsequently routed through shell entities using forged fixed deposits and debit notes, according to the CBI. The agency took over the probe from the Haryana State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau following a request from the state government.
According to the latest reports, so far the agency has filed chargesheets against 17 accused in the case, including six bank officials from IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank, three Haryana government officials, two companies, and six private individuals. The CBI has also filed chargesheets in two other cases related to Chandigarh Smart City and CREST Chandigarh after taking over investigations from the Union Territory administration. In the Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) case, the agency has chargesheeted five bankers, one CSCL official and one private individual. In the Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science & Technology Promotion Society (CREST) case, it has chargesheeted five bankers, two CREST officials, four private individuals, and two companies. The agency stated it remains committed to tracing the complete trail of misappropriated public funds and bringing those responsible to justice.
