The CBI has arrested Pardeep Kumar, a former IAS officer and Member Secretary of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board, for his involvement in misappropriating Rs 169 crore from government funds at the IDFC First Bank branch in Sector-32, Chandigarh. Investigations revealed that Kumar’s actions directly contributed to the fraud. Prior to this arrest, two other senior officers were also arrested in connection with the case.
Pardeep Kumar, while serving as Member Secretary, managed all investment-related activities and directed HSPCB funds into fixed deposits at IDFC First Bank, exceeding the authorized limits. The CBI found that the department lacked records of the account opened at the bank for these transactions. The unauthorized account was used for fraudulent debit transactions instead of creating fixed deposits, resulting in a massive loss of government funds.
The CBI noted that Pardeep Kumar had been evading investigators and resisting interrogation. Following successful tracking efforts, he was apprehended by the authorities. The CBI took over the investigation from the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Haryana, at the state government’s request. This case is part of a larger banking fraud at the IDFC First Bank branch in Chandigarh, where approximately Rs 504 crore from various Haryana government departments was allegedly siphoned off through fake fixed deposits and illicit transactions.
