In a major development in the Haryana government funds scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested IAS officer Sri Ram Kumar Singh, the then Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation (MC), Panchkula, for his alleged role in the misappropriation of public funds amounting to approximately ₹79.46 crore. The funds were siphoned from the Municipal Corporation’s bank account maintained at the Sector 32 branch of IDFC First Bank in Chandigarh.
According to the CBI, the bank account was opened in violation of Haryana Finance Department guidelines. Investigators found that details in the account opening documents were deliberately entered in a manner that helped conceal fraudulent transactions. The probe revealed that Singh allegedly handed over several signed cheques to bank officials through intermediaries under the pretext of creating Fixed Deposits (FDs). However, no FDs were actually created, and the money was instead diverted to shell companies allegedly controlled by bank officials.
The agency stated that the fraud was carried out with the active participation of the then Commissioner and the Senior Accountant of MC Panchkula, who had already been arrested earlier. Following the latest arrest, CBI teams conducted searches at Singh’s residences in Chandigarh and Karnal, recovering documents considered important to the investigation.
The MC Panchkula case is part of a much larger financial scam involving nearly ₹504 crore belonging to eight Haryana government departments. Investigators allege that the funds were siphoned off through forged or non-existent fixed deposits and routed through shell entities. So far, the CBI has filed chargesheets against 17 accused, including bank officials, government employees, private individuals, and companies. The agency has reaffirmed its commitment to tracing the complete money trail and bringing all those responsible to justice.
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