CBI arrests senior IAS officer Pankaj Aggarwal in Haryana-IDFC First Bank case

CBI Detains Senior IAS Officer in Haryana Government Funds Scandal

Theindiapostdaily.com – The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has detained Pankaj Aggarwal, a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer serving as Principal Secretary in Haryana’s School Education and Agriculture departments, in a case linked to the alleged misappropriation of state funds. The accounts in question were connected to the Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad (HSSPP) and the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board (HSAMB), which were maintained at IDFC First Bank’s Sector 32 branch in Chandigarh.

Aggarwal is set to appear before a court on Tuesday. The CBI assumed control of the probe after the Haryana government requested a central investigation. According to the agency’s findings, the accounts were reportedly established without adhering to official guidelines from the Haryana Finance Department. This led to transfers of funds surpassing the stipulated limits, which investigators say may have contributed to the financial loss.

The CBI’s inquiry indicates that Aggarwal was directly involved in the creation of these accounts. The fraudulent activities are alleged to have siphoned off ₹60.54 crore from the state’s treasury. Authorities have also submitted chargesheets against 17 individuals and entities, including six bank officials and two private parties, in connection with the case.

Broader Scandal Involves Multiple Departments

Officials estimate that the fraud involving the two departments amounts to ₹60.54 crore. This case is part of a larger scheme tied to the Sector 32 branch of IDFC First Bank, where approximately ₹504 crore from eight Haryana government departments is said to have been funneled through shell companies. The CBI continues to trace the full extent of the misused funds and has prioritized the prosecution of all implicated parties.

“The CBI remains focused on identifying and prosecuting all those involved, while continuing efforts to trace the complete flow of the allegedly misappropriated public funds,” the agency stated.

In a related development, another senior IAS officer, RK Singh, who was arrested over alleged fund diversion from the Municipal Corporation of Panchkula, has been remanded in judicial custody. The CBI has also taken over two additional investigations in Chandigarh, involving the Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) and the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CREST).

The CSCL case includes charges against five bank officials, one employee of the organization, and a private individual. In the CREST case, the CBI has named five bankers, two officials, four private persons, and two companies in its chargesheet. The investigation has also resulted in the arrest of a senior Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer.