Haryana’s Anti-Corruption Bureau Director General, Arshinder Singh Chawla, disclosed that four individuals have been apprehended in connection with the IDFC First Bank fraud case. The funds were diverted to the Swastik Desh project, a private entity owned by some of the suspects. The arrested individuals are Ribhav Rishi, Abhishek Singla, Abhay Kumar, and Swati Singla.
Chawla mentioned that a complaint was received on February 23 regarding misappropriation of funds from the Panchayat Department, leading to a prompt investigation as per government directives. The Special Investigating Team, under Ganga Ram Poonia’s leadership, successfully apprehended the accused within 24 hours. IDFC Bank has repaid the government funds, but the case remains under scrutiny.
The investigation revealed that Vibhav Rishi and Abhay were the masterminds behind the fraudulent scheme. Chawla assured the public that the money belonging to the people of Haryana is secure. An amount of Rs 300 crore was invested in a private company, with some funds also channeled to AU Small Finance.
The embezzled funds were directed to the Swastik Desh project, owned by Swati Singla and her brother Abhishek Singla, both of whom have been arrested. Chawla refrained from commenting on the involvement of senior government officials at this early stage of the probe. The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau discovered the complicity of various government departments, including accounts of the Chandigarh administration.
