CBI arrests IAS officer Pardeep Kumar in ₹169 crore Haryana bank fraud
Synopsis
A senior IAS officer who personally controlled HSPCB's investment operations has been arrested by the CBI for allegedly draining ₹169 crore through a ghost bank account — no fixed deposits were ever created, no approvals were ever sought. It is the single largest departmental loss in a ₹504 crore Haryana government banking fraud that has already ensnared 17 accused.
Key Takeaways
CBI arrested Pardeep Kumar , IAS, former Member Secretary, HSPCB , on 30 June over the ₹169 crore fraud.
Kumar allegedly routed HSPCB funds into an unauthorised account at IDFC First Bank, Sector-32, Chandigarh — no fixed deposits were ever created.
The ₹169 crore loss to the Haryana government is reportedly the single largest departmental loss in the broader scam.
The wider fraud involves approximately ₹504 crore from eight Haryana government departments , allegedly siphoned through forged fixed deposits and shell entities.
The CBI has so far filed chargesheets against 17 accused , including 6 bank officials , 3 public servants , 2 companies , and 6 private individuals .
This is the third senior arrest in the case; Kumar had been evading investigators before being traced.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday, 30 June arrested Pardeep Kumar, an IAS officer and former Member Secretary of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), in connection with the alleged misappropriation of ₹169 crore in government funds from the IDFC First Bank branch in Sector-32, Chandigarh. The arrest marks the third senior official detained by the CBI in this case, and investigators say Kumar is directly linked to the fraud at its core.
How the Fraud Was Executed
According to the CBI, Pardeep Kumar personally oversaw all investment-related operations at the HSPCB, directing that board funds be routed into fixed deposits with IDFC First Bank — far beyond the limits prescribed for such placements. The funds were first transferred into an account at the bank's Sector-32 Branch, but investigators found no departmental records to account for how or when that account was opened.
The CBI said the account was created without any formal approvals. Crucially, no fixed deposits were ever actually created. Instead, fraudulent debit transactions were carried out from the account, draining government money. The net loss to the Government of Haryana from the HSPCB component alone is estimated at approximately ₹169 crore — reportedly the single largest financial loss suffered by any of the affected Haryana departments in the wider scam.
Kumar's Evasion and Arrest
The CBI noted that Pardeep Kumar had been evading investigators for a considerable period, declining to join the inquiry despite repeated summons. His arrest was carried out after the agency successfully traced his location. The statement did not specify where he was found.
The Larger Scam: ₹504 Crore Across Eight Departments
The HSPCB fraud is one component of a significantly larger banking scam centred on the same IDFC First Bank, Sector-32 Branch, Chandigarh. According to the CBI, government funds totalling approximately ₹504 crore, belonging to eight departments of the Government of Haryana, were allegedly siphoned off through forged or non-existent fixed deposits and fraudulent debit transactions, with the proceeds subsequently routed through shell entities.
The CBI took over the investigation from the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Haryana, at the request of the state government. So far, the agency has filed chargesheets against 17 accused, including six bank officials from IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank, three public servants of the Haryana government, two companies, and six private individuals.
What Happens Next
With the third senior arrest now made, the CBI is expected to intensify scrutiny of the financial trail linking the HSPCB account to the broader shell-entity network. The chargesheet record suggests the investigation is well advanced, but the full scale of the conspiracy — and the identities of all beneficiaries — has not yet been made public. Further arrests cannot be ruled out as the agency follows the money through the layered transactions.
Point of View
No records, and no actual fixed deposits — points to a systemic failure of financial oversight within Haryana's government machinery, not just individual misconduct. The ₹504 crore figure spread across eight departments suggests this was not an opportunistic fraud but a structured operation, likely requiring insider cooperation at multiple levels including the bank. The CBI's chargesheet against six bank officials underscores that point. What remains unanswered is how funds of this scale moved without triggering any internal audit flags — and whether accountability will extend to the supervisory chain above Kumar, or stop at the arrested officials.
NationPress
30 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Pardeep Kumar and why was he arrested by the CBI?
Pardeep Kumar is an IAS officer who served as Member Secretary of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB). He was arrested on 30 June by the CBI for his alleged direct role in misappropriating ₹169 crore in HSPCB funds through fraudulent transactions at IDFC First Bank's Sector-32 branch in Chandigarh.
What is the ₹169 crore HSPCB bank fraud?
The fraud involved routing HSPCB government funds into an unauthorised account at IDFC First Bank, Chandigarh, ostensibly to create fixed deposits. No fixed deposits were ever created; instead, fraudulent debit transactions drained approximately ₹169 crore, causing the single largest departmental loss in a wider ₹504 crore Haryana government scam.
How large is the overall Haryana bank fraud that the CBI is investigating?
The total fraud across eight Haryana government departments is estimated at approximately ₹504 crore. The funds were allegedly siphoned through forged or non-existent fixed deposits and fraudulent debit transactions at the IDFC First Bank Sector-32 branch, Chandigarh, and subsequently routed through shell entities.
How many people have been chargesheeted in the Haryana bank fraud case?
The CBI has filed chargesheets against 17 accused so far, including six bank officials from IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank, three Haryana government public servants, two companies, and six private individuals. Pardeep Kumar is the third senior officer arrested in the case.
Why did the CBI take over this investigation from Haryana's own agency?
The CBI took over the investigation from the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Haryana, at the explicit request of the Haryana state government, given the scale and complexity of the fraud spanning multiple departments and financial institutions.
