The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has detained two individuals from the Haryana Labour Welfare Board (HLWB) over suspicions of embezzling government funds from the Board’s account at the IDFC First Bank in Chandigarh. The arrested persons are Accounts Officer Jugal Kishor and contractual Accountant Amit Kumar. The case was transferred to the CBI based on a request from the Haryana government.
The investigation exposed damning evidence against Jugal Kishor and Amit Kumar, leading to their arrest and subsequent presentation before a competent court. The CBI disclosed that approximately Rs 50 crore of government funds were illicitly withdrawn from the HLWB account through deceitful debit transactions and redirected to shell companies like Capco Fintech Services, SRR Planning Gurus Private Limited, and Swastik Desh Projects.
The CBI uncovered a broader banking fraud tied to the Sector-32 branch of IDFC First Bank in Chandigarh, where an estimated Rs 504 crore from eight Haryana government departments was allegedly siphoned off through fake fixed deposits and deceptive debit transactions. The funds were then funneled through shell entities. The CBI took over the investigation from the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Haryana, at the state government’s behest.
The agency has already pressed charges against 17 individuals in the case, including officials from IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank, Haryana government employees, companies, and private individuals. The CBI affirmed its dedication to tracing the complete path of the misused public funds, identifying the crime proceeds, and ensuring accountability for all involved parties.
