Chandigarh, June 23: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested suspended Haryana cadre IAS officer Ram Kumar Singh in connection with the multi-crore IDFC First Bank fraud case involving the alleged embezzlement of government funds. The scam, initially estimated at over ₹500 crore, is now believed to have crossed ₹590 crore, making it one of the biggest financial frauds linked to government accounts in recent years.
Singh, a 2012-batch IAS officer, is the first Haryana cadre IAS officer to be arrested in the case. The CBI carried out searches at his residences in Chandigarh and Karnal and reportedly recovered documents considered relevant to the ongoing investigation. He had been placed under suspension by the Haryana government earlier this year.
According to investigators, the fraud involved the diversion of funds from accounts belonging to various Haryana government departments maintained with IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank. The CBI suspects a criminal conspiracy involving bank officials, government employees and private individuals, through which public money was siphoned off using fraudulent transactions and shell entities.
The Haryana government had earlier granted sanction to the CBI to investigate and question several IAS officers in connection with the scam. The agency has been examining the role of senior bureaucrats who allegedly approved or facilitated the transfer of funds.
The probe was initially launched by the Haryana State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau before being handed over to the CBI. Investigators have already arrested multiple accused, including former bank officials and private businessmen, while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting a parallel money-laundering investigation.
Officials said the investigation is continuing and further arrests cannot be ruled out as the agency traces the money trail and examines the involvement of other public servants and bank officials in the alleged fraud.
