Panchkula: IAS officer Ram Kumar Singh, arrested in connection with the Rs 79.4 crore fund scam at the Panchkula Municipal Corporation, was produced before a special CBI court in Panchkula and remanded in police custody. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Singh on Thursday.
In court, the CBI argued that crucial messages and communication records from Singh’s mobile phone were missing. The agency also contended that a senior officer like him could influence witnesses and related persons.
Sources said Singh failed to give satisfactory answers regarding Rs 2.5 crore transferred to his son’s account in Dubai, 15 acres of agricultural land purchased in Karnal, and certain benami properties.
In January, Singh declared total assets worth Rs 3.2 crore on the government portal, most of which were shown as ancestral. His wife was listed as the owner of a petrol pump, microbrewery, and restaurant along with other family members.
Details of movable and immovable property returns (IPR) were submitted to the Haryana chief secretary. The last offline annual property return was filed on April 16, 2019.
Singh also recorded his wife’s and sons’ assets in the IPR, stating: “My wife has had her own business for many years. Along with other family members, she is running several businesses such as petrol pump, microbrewery, restaurant, rental projects, agricultural land, and buying and selling of property.”
The CBI took over investigation into the alleged fraud at MC Panchkula from the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Haryana, on the request of the state government.
The scam involved misappropriation of around Rs 79.4 crore and was part of a larger fraud at the IDFC First Bank branch in Sector 32, Chandigarh, where Rs 504 crore belonging to eight Haryana government departments was siphoned off.
So far, 17 accused have been chargesheeted by the CBI in the case.
