The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has intensified its investigation into the massive Rs 645-crore IDFC bank fraud linked to Haryana government funds, moving to formally question eight IAS officers and one Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer in connection with the case. The scam came to light earlier this year after officials discovered major irregularities while attempting to close a government account at the Sector 32 branch of IDFC First Bank in Chandigarh. Investigators believe large amounts of public money were siphoned off through the fraud, triggering one of the biggest financial investigations linked to Haryana government departments in recent years. The case has now expanded significantly after the CBI gathered material and disclosure statements from accused individuals already in custody.
Haryana government grants sanction to question five IAS officers
Reports say that the Haryana government has already granted permission to the CBI under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act to question five IAS officers connected to the case. The officers include Vineet Garg of the 1991 batch, Pankaj Agarwal from the 2000 batch, Mohammed Shayin from the 2002 batch, and Pradeep Kumar and Ram Kumar Singh, who belong to the 2011 and 2012 batches respectively.
Pradeep Kumar and Ram Kumar Singh, both promoted from Haryana Civil Services, had earlier been suspended on April 9 as the investigation widened. Officials said the sanction was necessary because the law requires prior approval before any central agency can formally question public servants regarding actions linked to their official duties.
Fresh application filed for questioning three more senior IAS officers
As per reports, on Friday, the CBI submitted another application seeking approval to question three additional IAS officers in the fraud case. These officers are Saket Kumar of the 2005 batch, D.K. Behera of the 2007 batch and Mani Ram of the 2009 batch.
IFS officer linked to CREST also cleared for questioning by Centre
Apart from the IAS officers, the central government has also cleared Navneet Kumar Srivastava, a 2014-batch Indian Forest Service officer, for questioning in the case. Srivastava belongs to the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories cadre and was serving as Chief Executive Officer of the Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) when the alleged fraud took place.
CREST was reportedly among the government bodies that lost public money in the scam. Investigators are now trying to understand how the funds were diverted and whether officials ignored warning signs or procedural violations.
What Section 17-A means in corruption investigations involving public servants
Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act was incorporated by means of an amendment in 2018. Under Section 17-A of the Act, it becomes necessary for the investigating agencies such as the CBI to seek the approval of the concerned authority before commencing the investigation.
In cases involving state officers, permission must come from the state government, while the Centre grants approval for central officers. Without this sanction, the CBI cannot officially question officers or record statements as part of its investigation process.
Raids conducted across Chandigarh and Panchkula as probe deepens
The investigation has also expanded on the ground with the CBI conducting searches across seven locations in Chandigarh and Panchkula on May 14. Officials said the raids covered residences of accused persons, jewellery showrooms, premises linked to alleged beneficiaries and other private establishments connected to the case.
During the searches, the agency reportedly recovered financial records, important documents and digital evidence that may help investigators trace the movement of siphoned public funds and identify the wider network involved in the Haryana bank fraud case.
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
