CHANDIGARH: The suspended Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Pardeep Kumar of Haryana cadre, who is an accused in the Rs 590-crore IDFC bank scam, is allegedly 'on the run' as his phone is 'switched off'.
Sources in the CBI claimed that Kumar had been 'missing' from his home.
It is learnt that a team of the CBI had gone to his residence to arrest him, but he was not at home.
Sources claimed that his role is related to the Rs 169 crore fraud at the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), where he served as Member Secretary from August 31, 2022, to December 10, 2025.
The investigating agency had on June 23 had arrested Saurav Sharma, a data entry operator in the pollution control board and the next day, a Panchkula court sent him to CBI custody for four days.
In conspiracy with the accused bank officials, he allegedly facilitated and assisted in processing investments in favour of private banks in violation of rules, leading to a loss of Rs 169.36 crore to the pollution board.
A 2011-batch IAS officer, Pardeep Kumar, was suspended on April 8. He was posted as director, state transport, and special secretary of the department.
He was promoted to IAS from the Haryana Civil Services had started his career as a City Magistrate in Karnal in 1999.
Also, another IAS officer, Vineet Garg of the 1991 batch, who served as the Chairman of the HSPCB, is also under the scanner.
He is currently posted as an additional chief secretary in the printing and stationery department.
The government had earlier granted permission to investigate him, too, under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Sources alleged that from the account of HSPCB, funds were transferred to Capco Fintech Services, Disha Traders, Mannat Contractor, SRR Planning Gurus Private Limited, Vitamed Solutions and Swastik Desh Projects.
As around Rs 70 crore went to Swastik Desh Projects, and over Rs 53 crore to Capcp Fintech Services. These were shell firms floated by the accused persons to siphon off funds.
As of now, two Haryana cadre IAS officers have been arrested so far.
Ram Kumar Singh, a 2012-batch officer promoted from the HCS, was arrested on June 18 in connection with the Rs 79.46 crore being siphoned off from the Panchkula Municipal Corporation account.
The other is Pankaj Aggarwal, who was principal secretary of the school education and agriculture departments when accounts of the Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojana Parishad and the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board were opened in violation of finance department guidelines.
The loss attributed to these two departments is Rs 60.54 crore. He was arrested on June 22.
Sources said that eight IAS officers are under the scanner in the IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank scam.
Out of them, two have been arrested so far, while one is on the run.
The rest of the five IAS officers are also facing arrest. The Haryana Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau initially registered a case. However, given the scale of the alleged fraud, the investigation was later transferred to the CBI.
