The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has revealed that the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has no record of how an account was opened in the IDFC First Bank's branch in Sector 32, Chandigarh. No approval was obtained for opening the account, and it was never brought to the knowledge of any officer senior to Senior Accounts Officer Parveen Kumar.
This is the same bank account from which Rs 169 crore was misappropriated. The CBI has called it the largest single fraud across all eight affected departments of the Haryana Government.
How the account was opened without approval
According to the CBI, Parveen Kumar signed the account-opening form as the Senior Accounts Officer and authorised signatory. The account was opened on February 27, 2025. At that time, the Chairman of the HSPCB was IAS officer Vineet Garg, and the Member Secretary was Pardeep Kumar.
The CBI's investigation found that there is no paperwork or digital record in the HSPCB showing how the account came to be opened. No senior officer was informed, and no approval was sought from the board's management.
What this means for the investigation
The lack of records makes it difficult for investigators to trace who authorised the account opening. The CBI is now focusing on who gave the instructions to Parveen Kumar and why no records were maintained.
This case is part of a larger investigation into the IDFC First Bank fraud that has affected multiple departments of the Haryana government. The total amount involved in the fraud across all departments is Rs 504 crore.
Our Take: A failure of oversight
In our view, this case shows a serious failure in financial controls within the Haryana government. When a government board opens a bank account without any record or approval, it creates a clear path for fraud. The fact that Rs 169 crore could be stolen from an account that was never officially approved shows that basic checks were missing.
The CBI's finding that no senior officer knew about the account raises serious questions about how the HSPCB was being managed. If a senior accounts officer can open a bank account without anyone else knowing, then the system is broken. This case should push all government departments to review their financial procedures immediately.
To put it plainly, this is not just about one fraudster. It is about a system that allowed one person to act without any oversight. Until that changes, similar frauds will keep happening.