The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a supplementary chargesheet against Indian Forest Service officer Navneet Kumar Srivastava in connection with the alleged misappropriation of ₹82 crore from the Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science & Technology Promotion Society. The probe agency alleged that ₹95 lakh of diverted funds was moved to a firm owned by the officer’s wife and father-in-law, with ₹80 lakh subsequently utilized to purchase agricultural or orchard land in Canacona, Goa. Srivastava was arrested earlier and remains in judicial custody as the proceedings move before the court.
Money Trail and Land Purchase in Goa
According to the chargesheet, the entity M/s Vipam Consultancy Pvt Ltd was incorporated in March 2022 with Srivastava’s wife Anupam Srivastava and her father Suresh Prasad Srivastava acting as its sole directors and joint owners. Between November 14, 2024, and February 14, 2025, the firm received ₹95 lakh from the account of M/s CAPCO Fintech Services through six demand draft and RTGS transactions. The agency stated that these transactions coincided with the ongoing financial irregularities at CREST, noting that the firm engaged in no genuine business activity or official dealings with the society and functioned as a conduit for diverted money.
Investigators stated that Vipam Consultancy Pvt Ltd subsequently disbursed ₹80 lakh via demand drafts to different parties in Goa between July and August 2025. The funds were allegedly used to acquire agricultural or orchard land in Canacona, with the title registered in the company name.
Courier Deliveries and Digital Evidence
The CBI also stated that accused bank managers Ribhav Rishi and Abhay Kumar disclosed during interrogation that kickbacks were delivered to Srivastava through cash couriers. An examination of call detail records revealed that while Srivastava maintained regular communication with society staff, he avoided standard telephone calls with Abhay Kumar and kept voice contact with suspected courier Rahul Kumar minimal. Forensic scrutiny of Rahul Kumar’s phone showed that conversations between him and the officer occurred predominantly over WhatsApp from May 9, 2025, an arrangement investigators described as an effort to evade conventional phone tracking.
Digital records indicated that on May 17, 2025, Srivastava sent the registration number and a photograph of a society-hired Tata Nexon EV to Rahul Kumar over WhatsApp to assist in identifying the vehicle during a cash handover. CREST Deputy Director of Development Rakesh Kumar confirmed in a statement that the vehicle was used exclusively by Srivastava. The agency further alleged that on November 23, 2025, Rahul Kumar instructed an associate, Manish Kumar, to pick up ₹20 lakh from the officer’s residence during early morning hours, following an earlier exchange of the home address between the two couriers on May 29, 2025.
Origin of Fraud and Legal Scrutiny
The case originated on March 12, 2026, when Chandigarh Police registered a case involving fraudulent banking operations, fictitious transactions, and the transfer of government funds to shell entities in connivance with bank staff and public servants. The case was subsequently handed over to the CBI for a comprehensive probe. The agency has cited the routed payments, the Goa land deal, courier cash handovers, and encrypted messaging logs as primary evidence. The allegations remain subject to judicial evaluation, and the accused will have the opportunity to contest the charges during trial.
Follow for daily updates on cybercrime, corporate fraud, DFIR, hacking, investigations, and digital forensics
