A major development has emerged in the alleged government fund misappropriation case linked to IDFC First Bank, with the Central…
Representational image (IANS)
A major development has emerged in the alleged government fund misappropriation case linked to IDFC First Bank, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arresting senior IAS officer Pankaj Aggarwal in connection with alleged financial irregularities involving Haryana government accounts.
The CBI action relates to accounts maintained by the Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad (HSSPP) and the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB) at the Sector 32 branch of IDFC First Bank in Chandigarh.
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Pankaj Aggarwal, who was serving as Principal Secretary of the School Education Department and the Agriculture Department at the time of the alleged irregularities, was arrested by the CBI on June 22.
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He is scheduled to be produced before a court on Tuesday.
The investigation was taken over by the CBI following a reference from the Haryana government. According to the agency, the HSSPP and HSAMB accounts were opened in violation of existing guidelines issued by the Finance Department of the Haryana government.
The agency said funds were later transferred into these accounts beyond the prescribed limits.
The CBI investigation found that fraudulent transactions were allegedly carried out through these accounts, leading to the alleged misappropriation of public funds.
The agency stated that the irregularities caused a net loss of around Rs 60.54 crore to the state exchequer.
The CBI said it gathered incriminating evidence against the senior bureaucrat during the course of the investigation.
The case is part of a wider investigation into alleged fraud at the Sector 32 branch of IDFC First Bank, where funds amounting to nearly Rs 504 crore belonging to eight Haryana government departments were allegedly siphoned off and routed through shell entities.
The CBI had earlier taken over the probe from the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Haryana, following a request from the state government.
So far, the agency has filed chargesheets against 17 accused in the Haryana case.
The accused include six officials of IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank, three Haryana government officials, two companies, and six private individuals.
In a related development, senior IAS officer R.K. Singh, arrested in connection with the alleged misappropriation of funds linked to the Municipal Corporation of Panchkula, has been sent to judicial custody after completion of police remand.
The CBI has also taken over two separate cases from the Chandigarh Union Territory.
One case involves Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) and the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, while the other relates to the Centre for Research and Industrial Staff Performance (CREST).
The CBI has filed chargesheets in both cases, naming seven accused in the CSCL case and 13 accused in the CREST case.
The accused include bankers, government officials, private individuals, and companies. A senior Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer has already been arrested in the CREST case.
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