The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Parveen Kumar, the then senior accounts officer of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), in connection with the misappropriation of government funds from the Board's account held at the Sector 32, Chandigarh branch of IDFC First Bank. The arrest, made on Thursday, brings the total number of public servants of the Haryana government arrested in this matter to four, and the overall arrest count in the case to 25.

How the Fraud Was Engineered

According to the CBI, Parveen Kumar opened a bank account in a clandestine manner — without any official record or departmental approval — and used it to facilitate fraudulent transactions. He operated the account as a signatory, but crucially, the mobile number registered to it belonged to another accused who had no connection to the department, a deliberate move to evade detection of suspicious activity.

The funds of the HSPCB were misappropriated through cheques and debit notes, with the debited amounts subsequently diverted to shell entities controlled and operated by the accused, the CBI said. Investigators stated that incriminating material gathered during the probe confirmed Kumar's active role in the scheme before his arrest.

Part of a Larger ₹504 Crore Scam

The fraud at the HSPCB is not an isolated incident — it forms part of a significantly larger financial scam centred on the Sector 32 IDFC First Bank branch in Chandigarh. According to the CBI, funds totalling ₹504 crore belonging to eight Haryana government departments were siphoned off through forged or non-existent Fixed Deposits and Debit Notes, and then routed to shell entities.

This is the third such arrest of an HSPCB officer in the case, with two other Board officials having been taken into custody earlier. The scale of the operation — spanning multiple departments and involving both bank insiders and private individuals — points to a systematically organised financial conspiracy, according to investigators.

Charge-Sheets and Accused So Far

The CBI has so far charge-sheeted 17 accused in the Haryana case. Those named include six bank officials from IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank, three public servants of the Haryana government, two companies, and six private persons. The investigation is ongoing, and further arrests cannot be ruled out as the agency continues to trace the money trail through shell entities.

What Happens Next

With 25 arrests made and charge-sheets filed against 17, the CBI's focus is expected to shift toward establishing the full network of shell entities used to absorb the diverted funds. Legal proceedings against those already charge-sheeted are likely to advance in the coming weeks, while investigators continue to examine financial records across the affected government departments.