The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested IAS officer Pardeep Kumar on Tuesday, the day of his superannuation, in connection with the Rs 657-crore Haryana bank scam. Kumar served as Member Secretary of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) when the alleged fraud occurred.
Third IAS Officer Arrested in Scam
Kumar is the third IAS officer taken into custody by the CBI in this case. Previously, the agency arrested Ram Kumar Singh and Pankaj Agarwal, both also linked to the financial irregularities involving government funds.
The HSPCB maintained an account at the Sector-32 branch of IDFC First Bank in Chandigarh. According to the CBI, Kumar personally handled investment-related work and authorized fund transfers for fixed deposits far exceeding prescribed limits.
No Records of Account Opening
The CBI investigation revealed that HSPCB funds were first transferred to an account at IDFC First Bank’s Sector-32 branch to create fixed deposits. However, the department could produce no records regarding the opening of this account. The CBI alleged that the conspiracy was so deep that the account was opened without any approvals, and funds were transferred in the name of creating fixed deposits.
“Surprisingly, there is no record which the department could produce with regard to opening of this account. The conspiracy was so deep that the account got opened without any approvals and funds were transferred into the account in the name of creating fixed deposits,” the CBI alleged.
Fraudulent Transactions and Loss
The investigation found that no fixed deposits were actually created. Instead, fraudulent debit transactions were carried out from the account, leading to misappropriation of government funds. The net loss to the Haryana government is approximately Rs 169 crore.
The CBI claimed that this represents the single largest financial loss suffered by any affected government department of Haryana in the overall scam.
Evasion and Arrest
Kumar had been evading the investigation for some time and failed to join the probe despite repeated efforts. The CBI traced his whereabouts and arrested him on the day of his superannuation.
The CBI took over the investigation from the Haryana State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau at the request of the state government.
Chargesheets Filed Against 17 Accused
So far, the CBI has filed chargesheets against 17 accused in the case. This includes six bank officials from IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank, three public servants of the Haryana government, two companies, and six private individuals.
