Punjab Newsline | Mohali
In a major development in Haryana’s high-profile ₹661-crore IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested senior IAS officer Pankaj Agarwal. The agency confirmed the arrest through an official press release, though it did not disclose the location from where he was taken into custody.
Agarwal, who is currently serving as the Principal Secretary of the Architecture Department, is scheduled to be produced before a court on Tuesday.
According to the CBI, the alleged irregularities took place when Agarwal was serving as Principal Secretary in the Education and Agriculture Departments. Investigators claim that bank accounts of the Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad (HSSPP) and the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB) were opened at IDFC First Bank’s Sector-32 branch in Chandigarh in violation of established rules.
The probe agency alleges that government funds exceeding the prescribed limits were subsequently transferred into these accounts. These accounts were allegedly used for fraudulent transactions, leading to the misuse of public money and causing an estimated loss of ₹60.54 crore to the state exchequer.
The CBI stated that crucial evidence against Agarwal emerged during the course of the investigation. So far, the agency has filed charge sheets against 17 accused, including bank officials, government employees, private firms, and other individuals allegedly linked to the scam.
The arrest comes days after the CBI took into custody senior IAS officer R.K. Singh on June 18 in connection with alleged embezzlement of government funds linked to the Panchkula Municipal Corporation. Investigators have described the case as part of a larger fund diversion and banking fraud network centered around the IDFC First Bank branch in Chandigarh’s Sector-32.
