New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested senior IAS officer Pankaj Aggarwal in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged misappropriation of government funds linked to IDFC First Bank’s Sector 32 branch in Chandigarh.
According to the CBI, Aggarwal, who was serving as the Principal Secretary in Haryana’s School Education and Agriculture departments at the time of the alleged irregularities, has been accused of facilitating the opening of certain bank accounts in violation of state government guidelines. Investigators allege that these accounts were subsequently used for fraudulent transactions, resulting in a loss of ₹60.54 crore to the Haryana government.
The case forms part of a much larger alleged scam involving the diversion of nearly ₹504 crore belonging to multiple Haryana government departments through accounts maintained at the Chandigarh branch of IDFC First Bank. The CBI has alleged that funds were siphoned off through a network of fraudulent transactions and routed to shell entities.
The probe was initially conducted by Haryana’s State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau before being handed over to the CBI earlier this year at the request of the state government. During the investigation, the agency claimed to have gathered incriminating evidence against Aggarwal, leading to his arrest.
Officials said the arrested IAS officer was produced before a court in Panchkula, where the CBI sought his custodial interrogation to further investigate the alleged role of government officials, bank employees and private entities involved in the case.
The alleged fraud has already led to the arrest of several bank officials, government employees and private individuals. The CBI has filed multiple chargesheets in the case and is continuing its investigation to uncover the full extent of the scam.
