Chandigarh : The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Chandigarh Zonal Office, has arrested Sunil Kumar Bansal and Ram Niwas, both former officials of the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP)—previously known as HUDA—under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The arrests were made on June 9, following revelations of a massive financial fraud involving at least ₹70 crore.
The ED’s investigation stems from an FIR filed by Panchkula Police in Sector-7 based on a complaint by the Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) of HSVP. It alleged fraudulent debits from a Punjab National Bank (PNB) account in Chandigarh, which was not even registered with the IT or cash wings of the HSVP.
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Fraud Hidden in Plain Sight: ₹70 Crore Moved from Undisclosed Account
Between 2015 and 2019, repeated debit transactions totaling approximately ₹70 crore were made from an HSVP account with PNB in favour of specific parties with no documented approvals or records within HSVP’s internal systems.
An internal inquiry confirmed that the bank account used for these transactions was not even listed in HSVP’s financial systems, confirming that the funds were diverted in a covert and unauthorized manner. At the time, Ram Niwas also served as an elected MLA in Haryana from 2019 to 2024, raising concerns over political misuse of institutional positions.
The FIR initially named “unknown persons,” but ED’s investigation identified both Ram Niwas and Sunil Kumar Bansal as the primary conspirators behind the scam.
Scale of Fraud Likely Larger, Says ED; ₹21 Crore in Assets Attached
While the FIR initially cited a ₹70 crore figure, the ED revealed during its probe that the fraud may involve even greater sums and multiple accounts. According to sources, the financial irregularities are likely part of a larger web of misappropriation, potentially implicating others.
To date, the ED has issued three Provisional Attachment Orders (PAOs), freezing properties worth ₹21 crore linked to the accused. Out of these, assets worth ₹18.06 crore have already been confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority, PMLA, New Delhi, validating the agency’s findings.
The attached properties include residential and commercial real estate and other high-value assets suspected to be purchased using laundered money.
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Arrests and Custody: ED Gets 5 Days to Question the Accused
Following their arrest, both Sunil Kumar Bansal and Ram Niwas were produced before the Additional District and Sessions Court in Panchkula, which granted five days of custodial remand to the ED for further interrogation.
Officials have stated that the arrests mark a turning point in unravelling systemic corruption within public agencies and political office. Investigators are now analyzing transaction trails, shell entities, and third-party beneficiaries possibly involved in laundering and concealing the proceeds.
The ED has assured that the investigation is ongoing and more attachments, arrests, and legal actions are expected as the network behind the fraud is exposed.
