CHANDIGARH: The investigation into the alleged ₹590 crore IDFC Bank scam in Haryana has taken a dramatic turn following reports that suspended IAS officer Pardeep Kumar has absconded. A Central Bureau of Investigation team tasked with arresting Kumar reportedly found his residence vacant and his mobile phone switched off. Authorities have since launched a search across multiple suspected locations to track down the senior bureaucrat.
Widening Network Under Probe
Investigators allege that Kumar played a central role in a ₹169.36 crore financial fraud involving the Haryana State Pollution Control Board. He is accused of conspiring with bank officials to route government funds into private banks in direct violation of established financial rules, causing substantial losses to the state-run body. The investigation gained significant momentum after the arrest of Saurav Sharma, a data entry operator with the pollution control board, who was subsequently remanded to CBI custody. Investigators believe his interrogation will help uncover the broader financial network and clarify the roles of other individuals involved.
Kumar, a 2011-batch IAS officer promoted from the Haryana Civil Services, was suspended earlier this year. He previously served as Director of State Transport and Special Secretary in the department, and he was the Member Secretary of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board from August 2022 to December 2025. The scrutiny has also expanded to senior IAS officer Vineet Garg, the former Chairman of the board. The Haryana government has granted approval for an investigation against Garg under the Prevention of Corruption Act, allowing agencies to examine documents and administrative decisions linked to his tenure.
Fund Diversion to Alleged Shell Companies
The probe indicates that funds from government accounts were systematically transferred to several private entities. These include Capco Fintech Services, Disha Traders, Mannat Contractor, SRR Planning Gurus Private Limited, Vitamed Solutions, and Swastik Desh Projects. Investigating agencies suspect that some of these firms operated as shell companies created solely to divert public money. Preliminary findings reveal that nearly ₹70 crore was transferred to Swastik Desh Projects, while more than ₹53 crore was routed to Capco Fintech Services.
Multiple Bureaucrats Face Arrest
The wider bank investment scam has already resulted in the arrest of two other IAS officers. Ram Kumar Singh, a 2012-batch officer, was arrested in connection with the alleged diversion of ₹79.46 crore from the Panchkula Municipal Corporation account. Another senior bureaucrat, Pankaj Aggarwal, was arrested over allegations that bank accounts for the Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojana Parishad and the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board were opened in violation of Finance Department guidelines, causing a loss of about ₹60.54 crore.
A total of eight IAS officers are currently under investigation in connection with the multi-crore scam. Of these, two are in custody, one is missing, and five others remain under close scrutiny. The case was initially registered by the Haryana Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau but was later transferred to the CBI due to the massive scale of the financial fraud and the involvement of multiple state institutions. Investigators are continuing to examine banking transactions, investment approvals, and financial trails to determine the full extent of the conspiracy.
