Haryana Scam Shocker Ias Officer Arrested On Retirement Day In 593 Crore Idfc Bank Fraud Probe

In a dramatic twist, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested senior IAS officer Pardeep Kumar on the very day he retired, tightening its grip on the massive Rs 593-crore Haryana government funds scam.Kumar, the former Member Secretary of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), is the third IAS officer to be arrested in the case, according to a report of the Times of India. Investigators claim they have uncovered a direct link between him and the alleged siphoning of Rs 169 crore from HSPCB accounts maintained at IDFC First Bank's Sector 32 branch in Chandigarh.The Rs 169-crore loss is being described by the CBI as the biggest financial hit suffered by any department caught in the wider scam.According to the agency, Kumar had been evading investigators for nearly a week and had also sought anticipatory bail from a CBI court. Officials alleged that despite multiple notices, he failed to join the probe. He was eventually tracked down and taken into custody after CBI teams located him.The agency has already arrested two other IAS officers — Ram Kumar Singh and Pankaj Agarwal — in connection with the case.How the Alleged Fraud WorkedThe HSPCB case is part of a much larger alleged banking fraud spanning eight Haryana government departments.Investigators claim public money was diverted through fake or non-existent fixed deposits and suspicious banking transactions before being routed through shell companies.The CBI alleges Kumar personally oversaw the investment process and facilitated the transfer of pollution board funds to the Chandigarh branch of the bank, allegedly exceeding prescribed limits for fixed deposits.The probe found that government funds were first moved into a bank account that allegedly lacked documented departmental approval. Officials said the pollution board could not produce records explaining how the account was opened.What investigators found next raised even more questions.According to the CBI, the promised fixed deposits were never created. Instead, funds were allegedly drained through fraudulent debit transactions, resulting in a net loss of Rs 169 crore to the state exchequer.22 arrested so farWith Kumar's arrest, the total number of arrests in the wider scam has risen to 22.The CBI has already filed charge sheets against 17 accused, including six officials from IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank, three Haryana government officials, two companies, and six private individuals.The agency is also probing related cases involving Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) and CREST, where charge sheets have already been filed.In another major development, the CBI arrested two former bank officials linked to the Rs 593-crore fraud.A special CBI court in Panchkula remanded Charanjeet Singh Randhawa, former branch head of AU Small Finance Bank, and Mohammad Shamim Dhar, former team head of IDFC First Bank's Government Business Group, to three days of CBI custody.Investigators are continuing to trace the money trail and identify all those involved in what is emerging as one of Haryana's biggest alleged government fund scams.