Haryana officers got ‘undue advantages’ for facilitation, inaction, says CBI

Panchkula: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday said evidence gathered during its probe into the alleged Rs 661-crore misappropriation of govt funds suggests that senior Haryana cadre public servants colluded with bank officials and received "undue advantages" for facilitating the opening of accounts, transfer of funds and their subsequent diversion.The agency's statement came a day after it conducted searches at the residences of senior public servants and the premises of Noida-based Vipam Consultancy Pvt Ltd in connection with the case.According to the CBI, evidence collected so far indicates that the public servants allegedly colluded with bank officials in opening accounts, transferring govt funds and facilitating their diversion. It alleged that they received undue benefits for their facilitation and inaction.The agency further alleged that Vipam Consultancy Pvt Ltd received proceeds of crime in its account, which were subsequently transferred to the personal account of its director.The CBI said it seized documents, digital devices, property records and other material during the searches conducted in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Delhi-NCR.The searches were carried out as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged siphoning of govt funds parked with IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank. The agency said eight Haryana govt departments and two Chandigarh Administration entities — Municipal Corporation Chandigarh and CREST Chandigarh — were affected, leading to the alleged misappropriation of Rs 661 crore.The CBI took over one case from the Haryana State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau and two cases registered at Chandigarh's Economic Offences Police Station. The cases relate to alleged criminal conspiracy, misappropriation of govt funds and other offences involving public servants and bank officials.The agency has already filed its first chargesheet before a Panchkula court detailing the alleged role of officials of Haryana Power Generation Corporation Ltd and Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad. It said further investigation is under way and an additional chargesheet will be filed.