CBI Arrests 2 Haryana Labour Welfare Board Officials In Rs 50-Crore IDFC First Bank Scam
The arrested accused have been identified as Jugal Kishore, an account officer with the HLWB, and Amit Kumar, a contractual accounts clerk.
Published : July 9, 2026 at 6:01 PM IST
Panchkula: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested two officials of the Haryana Labour Welfare Board (HLWB) in connection with the high-profile Rs 50-crore IDFC First Bank scam.
The arrested accused have been identified as Jugal Kishore, an account officer with the HLWB, and Amit Kumar, a contractual accounts clerk. Both were summoned to the CBI office in Chandigarh for questioning before being apprehended.
A court subsequently granted the CBI two days' custody of the accused for further interrogation. During the hearing, Amit Kumar's counsel, Yavneet Dhakla, opposed the remand, arguing that his client had been cooperating with the investigation and that custodial interrogation was unnecessary.
According to the CBI, the case involves the alleged misappropriation of more than Rs 50 crore belonging to the HLWB. Investigators allege that the money was diverted to shell companies through fraudulent banking transactions as part of a well-planned criminal conspiracy involving both government officials and private individuals.
The agency said Jugal Kishore had been serving as the board's account officer since August 21, 2024, and was an authorised signatory for financial transactions. Despite the approval for fixed deposits (FDs), he allegedly signed documents to open a savings account. Investigators also said that he signed the letters authorising the transfer of Rs 50 crore into that account.
The CBI further alleged that there was no official record within the department indicating that a savings account had been opened. Even after receiving information from bank officials about discrepancies, no independent inquiry was initiated. Instead, correspondence allegedly continued through co-accused Abhay Kumar, a dismissed bank official who had already been arrested earlier in the case.
Investigators also accused Amit Kumar of preparing the investment note sheet without mentioning the opening of the savings account. He allegedly made backdated entries to include details of the account later and attached forged fixed deposit receipts received from a co-accused to official departmental files.
According to the CBI, instead of seeking direct confirmation from the bank, officials continued to rely on communication through Abhay Kumar. Even after the bank reportedly informed the department that the fixed deposits did not exist, no independent verification was carried out.
The investigation has led to the arrest of three Haryana-cadre IAS officers, Pankaj Agarwal, R.K. Singh and Pradeep Dagar as well as Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Vineet Srivastava. All four are currently in judicial custody.
Read More:
