Chandigarh Police have claimed to have foiled an alleged conspiracy to help a key accused in the multi-crore IDFC Bank fraud case escape from judicial custody. According to investigators, Vikram Wadhwa, a real estate businessman and one of the principal accused in the case, was taken to a hotel instead of being returned to Model Jail, Burail, after undergoing a scheduled medical examination. Acting on specific intelligence, police raided the hotel, apprehended Wadhwa along with four others, and registered a criminal case over the alleged escape plot.
The FIR names Sub-Inspector Jagmehar Singh, Assistant Sub-Inspector Surender, undertrial prisoner Vikram Wadhwa, and his two sons, Karan Wadhwa and Kunal Wadhwa. Police have alleged that the five conspired to facilitate Wadhwa’s escape from judicial custody. The investigation is examining allegations of bribery, criminal conspiracy, and dereliction of official duty.
According to the FIR, SI Jagmehar Singh and ASI Surender, both posted at the Police Lines in Sector 26, Chandigarh, had been assigned the responsibility of escorting the undertrial prisoner to the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH) for a medical examination. After the examination, they were required to return him directly to Model Jail, Burail. However, police allege that instead of following the prescribed procedure, the escorting officers took Wadhwa to a city hotel.
Investigators claim that Wadhwa’s sons, Karan and Kunal, were already present at the hotel and that the entire escape plan had been orchestrated in advance. According to the police, the two sons allegedly bribed the escorting officers to facilitate their father’s transfer to the hotel, from where he was expected to flee custody.
Following a specific intelligence input, a police team led by a senior officer conducted a raid at the hotel. During the operation, officers found Vikram Wadhwa, his two sons, and the two escorting police personnel inside the premises. All five were taken into custody, named in the FIR, and legal proceedings were initiated. Wadhwa has since been sent back to judicial custody.
Police are also investigating the role of the hotel management. According to investigators, the hotel owner is reportedly related to Vikram Wadhwa. Authorities are examining whether the management knowingly allowed the accused to stay at the property or assisted in the alleged escape plan. Hotel records, guest registers, and CCTV footage are being scrutinized to determine whether Wadhwa had stayed at the hotel on previous occasions and whether any staff members facilitated his presence there.
Vikram Wadhwa, a Chandigarh-based real estate businessman, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in May 2026 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED alleges that he, along with other accused persons, bank officials, and government employees, siphoned off approximately ₹645 crore from bank accounts belonging to the Haryana government, the Chandigarh Administration, and two private schools located in Chandigarh and Panchkula.
According to investigators, the alleged fraud was executed through a systematic operation involving the diversion of public funds from government-linked bank accounts into other accounts using fraudulent means. While the ED continues to investigate the money laundering aspects of the case, Chandigarh Police are conducting a parallel probe into the alleged conspiracy to facilitate the accused’s escape from judicial custody.
The case has also triggered concern within the police department. Officials have indicated that if the allegations against the escorting officers are substantiated, they will face both departmental disciplinary proceedings and criminal prosecution. Investigators are further examining whether additional individuals were involved in the alleged escape plan and whether the conspiracy was linked to a wider network. Police have stated that the investigation remains ongoing and that further action will be taken based on the evidence collected.
