The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested another IAS officer in connection with the Rs 657 crore bank scam that involved siphoning funds from government accounts. Pankaj Agarwal, a 2000-batch IAS officer, was taken into custody on Monday night, according to CBI sources. He is the second IAS officer to be arrested in the case, following Ram Kumar Singh.
Scam Details and Financial Loss
The scam involved officials from IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank colluding with government officials, including IAS officers, to siphon off funds from bank accounts belonging to eight Haryana government departments and two Chandigarh Administration departments. The CBI has estimated the loss at Rs 657 crore, while the Enforcement Directorate, which is also investigating the case, claims a loss of Rs 645 crore.
Role of Pankaj Agarwal
Agarwal's role pertains to his tenure as Administrative Secretary of the Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Department. During this period, Rs 10 crore was siphoned from the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board's account at IDFC First Bank in Sector 32, Chandigarh. The account was maintained under the name Agriculture Marketing Development Fund. Of this amount, Rs 9.75 crore was transferred to SRR Planning Gurus Limited, and Rs 25 lakh went to Mannat Contractors. Both firms are shell companies created to divert government funds.
Wider Investigation and Other Officers
Eight IAS officers are under scrutiny in the scam. Apart from Agarwal and Ram Kumar Singh, the others include Mohd Shayin, Mani Ram Sharma, Pardeep Kumar, Vineet Garg, Saket Kumar, and DK Behera. Agarwal is also linked to the siphoning of funds from Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojana Parishad, where he served as Administrative Secretary for the school education department. Over Rs 50 crore was siphoned from that account.
Both the accounts of Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojana Parishad and Haryana Agriculture Marketing Board were opened during Agarwal's tenure and in violation of Finance Department guidelines, according to sources.
