The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two senior banking officials for allegedly facilitating fraudulent transactions from Haryana government department accounts as part of a Rs 657-crore fund diversion case. The arrested individuals are Shamim Dar, former Area Head of the Government Banking Group (GBG) at IDFC First Bank, and Charanjeet Singh Randhawa, former branch manager of AU Small Finance Bank. A Panchkula court on Tuesday remanded both accused to three-day CBI custody.
Role of Shamim Dar in Account Openings
According to the CBI, the opening of several Haryana government accounts at IDFC First Bank's Sector 32 branch in Chandigarh was part of a "sourcing-and-conversion exercise" by the Government Banking Group. Dar played a key role as the account-opening approver. The agency said Dar approved accounts for the Municipal Council, Kalka; Municipal Corporation, Panchkula; Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB); Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB); Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL) Employees Pension Fund Trust; and the Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad (HSSPP).
"In the banker's certification column of AOFs (Account Opening Forms) of these Govt. Accounts, Dar personally affixed the certifications that he had 'met the customer at his communication address,' 'seen the original KYC documents' and that 'the customer has signed in my presence (CSIMP).' These certifications lent legitimacy to accounts that were thereafter operated through forged instruments," the CBI told the court.
Fraudulent Mobile Numbers and Transactions
The agency alleged that several account-opening forms approved by Dar carried mobile numbers that did not belong to government officials but to persons allegedly controlled by the accused. In the HSPCB account, the registered mobile number belonged to co-accused Abhishek Singla, brother-in-law of the bank's then relationship manager Abhay Kumar. According to the CBI, SMS alerts relating to 47 fraudulent debit transactions worth Rs 187.26 crore were delivered to Singla's phone.
"The fraudulent contact mobile numbers are present on the same instruments that Shamim Dar certified as genuine. His certification — that he had met the customer, seen the originals and witnessed the signing — is, on its own terms, an attestation as to the correctness of the customer particulars on the AOF, the contact mobile number among them," the CBI said.
The probe further alleges that Dar recommended approval of a forged debit of Rs 2.49 crore from the HSSPP account by describing it as a "vendor payment." He is also accused of playing a telephonic approval role in the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 10 crore from the HSAMB account using a cancelled cheque and of providing material that enabled a backdated change in an authorised signatory.
Charanjeet Randhawa's Alleged Involvement
The CBI also accused Randhawa of facilitating fraudulent transfers from the Director, Panchayat, MMGAY 2.0 account to M/s Swastik Desh Projects, allegedly a shell company floated by the accused. The agency said 14 fraudulent transactions were executed through forged debit notes or cheques bearing forged signatures of Director General, Panchayat, DK Behera. Randhawa is allegedly linked to 10 of these transactions, involving Rs 47.51 crore. In several cases, he acted as the authoriser and carried out the mandatory customer call-back confirmation.
According to the CBI, the confirmation calls were made to a mobile number allegedly operated by co-accused Naresh Kumar rather than any authorised government signatory. The agency further alleged that Randhawa authorised a Rs 25-crore fraudulent cheque transaction from the HPGCL Pension Fund Trust on December 29, 2025. The funds were allegedly transferred to M/s Swastik Desh Projects, while call records did not match those of the genuine authorised signatory.
