CHANDIGARH: The CBI on Wednesday filed its third chargesheet in Panchkula against 19 accused in a case involving the alleged misappropriation of Rs 504 crore of government funds belonging to various departments.
The accused include six IAS officers of the Haryana cadre, three officers of IDFC First Bank, one officer of AU Small Finance Bank and nine other Haryana government officials. The charge sheet was filed before a special judge for CBI cases in Panchkula.
The chargesheet includes offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, destruction of evidence, forgery, using false documents as genuine, falsification of accounts, criminal breach of trust and abetment under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). It also includes offences of bribery and criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
According to the CBI, its investigation found that the accused government officials, in connivance with bank officials at IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank, planned and carried out the fraud systematically.
Funds belonging to eight Haryana government departments were transferred from various empanelled banks to specific branches of IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank. The accused bank officials were posted at these branches, and they opened bank accounts there as part of the alleged conspiracy.
The CBI said that in the process, the finance department's guidelines on financial prudence and prevention of fraud were violated.
The money was then allegedly misappropriated through fraudulent transactions and transferred to third parties who had no connection with the government departments.
The transferred funds were moved through multiple bank accounts and later converted into cash, allegedly allowing the accused to wrongfully enrich themselves.
The eight Haryana government departments and organisations affected by the scam are the Department of Panchayat, Municipal Corporations of Panchkula and Kalka, Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad (HSSPP), Haryana Labour Welfare Board (HLWB), Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB), Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), and Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL).
The CBI had taken over the investigation from the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Haryana, at the request of the state government.
Before filing the latest chargesheet, the CBI had already chargesheeted 18 other accused in the case. They included bank officials of IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank, Haryana government officials, private individuals and private companies.
With the latest chargesheet, the total number of people chargesheeted in the case has reached 37.
The CBI has so far conducted 54 searches and seized incriminating evidence, including gold worth around Rs 20 crore. It has also arrested 26 accused in the case.
The CBI has also taken over two other related cases from Chandigarh. One case relates to Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) and Municipal Corporation Chandigarh, while the other concerns the Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST).
Chargesheets have already been filed in both these cases. With the Chandigarh Administration accounts also included, the total amount involved in the alleged fraud reached Rs 657 crore.
All three cases will remain under further investigation against other accused. The CBI said it remains committed to bringing those responsible to justice, identifying the complete trail of the misappropriated public funds and tracing the proceeds of crime.
