The Central Bureau of Investigation has uncovered a dedicated WhatsApp group named ‘Sukoon’ that was allegedly used to coordinate the 818.96-crore rupee bank scam involving IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank. In a supplementary chargesheet presented before a special CBI court in Panchkula, the investigating agency submitted complete digital extractions of the group, forensic voice spectrography material, and mobile imaging data. The messaging forum served as a operational channel connecting bank functionaries, private intermediaries, and administrative figures from state government departments. The communication records detail the diversion of public funds, the production of fraudulent fixed deposit receipts, unverified cheque clearances, commission settlements, and direct cash handovers. Investigators have scrutinised the roles of key players, including former bank branch manager Ribhav Rishi, Arun Sharma, alleged middleman Vikram Wadhwa, and Abhay Kumar.
Bypassing verification systems and diverting departmental deposits
Digital logs extracted by investigators reveal extensive discussions regarding the relocation of substantial funds belonging to a municipal corporation and a labour welfare board into a branch of IDFC First Bank. These arrangements allegedly relied on outdated fixed deposit receipt interest rate letters to facilitate the transactions. The agency recovered multiple voice notes outlining methods to process and clear payment instruments without the standard verification protocols mandatory for large institutional accounts. According to the chargesheet, group members specifically discussed intentionally keeping the Positive Pay System disabled so that internal verification alerts would not trigger queries from the bank’s central head office. The legal weight and evidentiary merit of these communications remain subject to judicial determination during the trial.
Fabricating deposit receipts and converting commissions into gold
The investigation also brought to light communications regarding the fabrication of physical FDR documents after government departments demanded the production of original deposit certificates. The text messages described printing custom templates and applying official department and bank seals to simulate authenticity. In another recorded audio file, individuals discussed forging signatures on a cheque to clear an RTGS fund transfer directed to an entity named Swastik Desh Projects. Beyond documentary forgery, the chats mapped out the distribution of illicit commissions. Several exchanges detailed arrangements for converting portions of the diverted proceeds into physical gold, coordinating physical deliveries of large cash amounts, and purchasing domestic air tickets alongside luxury five-star hotel reservations for participating officials.
Voice spectrography links senior bureaucrats to financial transactions
A significant component of the supplementary chargesheet rests on forensic audio analysis matching the voices of serving and former senior civil servants with the seized digital recordings. Forensic voice spectrography attributed to then commissioner and secretary Pankaj Aggarwal matched audio from discussions with Ribhav Rishi and Vikram Wadhwa. Recorded telephone calls associated with then Panchkula Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ram Kumar Singh were examined regarding the unapproved transfer of municipal funds and hurried cheque clearances. Audio files linked to Pradeep Kumar, then Member Secretary of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board, were also reviewed concerning unauthorised banking facilities. While the agency has submitted initial forensic audio reports, examinations for several subsequent mobile seizures, encrypted chat backups, and recovered deleted audio remain pending and will form part of a subsequent supplementary chargesheet.
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