The Haryana Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has intensified investigations into a Rs590 crore bank scam involving various Haryana government departments, while the Directorate of Enforcement has also stepped in to probe the matter.
The federal agency’s Chandigarh zonal office requested a copy of the FIR, along with communications from the chief secretary’s office, and sought updates on confession statements of the accused already arrested by the ACB.
So far, the ACB has arrested five individuals, including:
Rishabh Rishi – former employee of AU Small Bank
Abhay – associate
Swati Singla – Abhay’s wife
Abhishek Singla – Swati’s brother
Naresh Kumar Bhuwani – superintendent, Development and Panchayats Dept, arrested for receiving kickbacks exceeding Rs1 crore in luxury cars and other investments
According to officials, under the PMLA Act, the ED can independently investigate proceeds of crime, track funds exceeding Rs1 crore, and follow the complete money trail. Since the scam involves over Rs580 crore, ED intervention was warranted.
Investigations suggest that key beneficiaries include jewellery shop owners, players in Chandigarh’s bullion market, and a few local builders. This is reportedly the fourth major case being simultaneously probed by both the ED and state agencies in recent times.
Further inquiries are ongoing to fully map the money trail and identify additional culprits in the network.
