CBI arrests senior IAS officer in ₹60 crore IDFC First Bank embezzlement case
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested senior IAS officer Pankaj Aggarwal for allegedly embezzling Rs 60.54 crore from accounts belonging to the Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojana Parishad (HSSPP) and the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board (HSAMB) maintained with IDFC First Bank.
According to the CBI, the alleged fraud took place during Aggarwal's tenure as Principal Secretary in the Haryana government's School Education and Agriculture departments. Investigators found that bank accounts were opened at IDFC First Bank's Chandigarh Sector 32 branch in violation of state government guidelines, and funds were subsequently transferred beyond approved limits.
The agency alleged that fraudulent transactions through these accounts resulted in a loss of Rs 60.54 crore to the Haryana government. Aggarwal was arrested on Monday and is expected to be produced before a special court.
The case is part of a larger CBI probe into an alleged Rs 657-crore embezzlement involving funds from the Haryana government and Chandigarh administration. Investigators claim that the Haryana government suffered losses of around Rs 504 crore, while the Chandigarh administration incurred losses of approximately Rs 153 crore.
The CBI has already filed chargesheets against 17 accused in the Haryana-linked case, including bank officials, government employees, private individuals and companies. The agency alleges that funds were siphoned off through illegal transactions and routed to shell entities.
The investigation is also examining related cases involving Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL), the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation and CREST Chandigarh, where several officials and bankers have already been charge-sheeted or arrested.
