Chandigarh | April 10, 2026 — In a major administrative crackdown, the Haryana government has suspended two senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) formally takes over the probe into a massive banking fraud. The scandal involves the alleged siphoning of over ₹590 crore in government funds through fraudulent banking operations.
The suspension orders, signed by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi on the evening of April 8, target two officers promoted from the state civil services:
-
Shri Pradeep Kumar (2011 Batch): Formerly Director of State Transport. He is under scrutiny for transactions made during his tenure as Member Secretary of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB).
-
Shri Ram Kumar Singh (2012 Batch): Formerly Special Secretary (Revenue). He is being examined for his role during his stint as Municipal Commissioner of Panchkula (July 2025–January 2026).
The “Fixed Deposit” Modus Operandi
The fraud, which primarily targeted funds from the Development and Panchayats Department and the HSPCB, involved a sophisticated scheme to divert public money meant for fixed deposits.
-
Diversion: Funds were moved into unauthorized accounts at IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank.
-
Shell Network: Money was routed through a series of shell companies, including Swastik Desh Project and SRR Planning Gurus, before being laundered through bogus gold purchases and real estate investments.
-
Forgery: Investigators found evidence of forged signatures of high-ranking officials and the use of manipulated debit memos to bypass banking controls.
Escalation to Federal Agencies
While the case was initially registered by the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau in February 2026, the complexity and interstate nature of the fraud led Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to recommend a CBI probe.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has already frozen nearly 90 bank accounts linked to the scam and arrested 11 individuals, including six bank employees. The CBI’s First Information Report (FIR), registered on April 8, invokes stringent charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal conspiracy and forgery.
Current Status of Officers
Both Pradeep Kumar and Ram Kumar Singh are now required to report to the Chief Secretary’s office in Chandigarh and are prohibited from leaving the headquarters without prior permission. Officials suggest that the “zero-tolerance” action marks the beginning of a broader bureaucratic cleanup, with several more senior officials and banking executives likely to be questioned in the coming days.
