Serious allegations have been made against six IAS officers in a CBI charge sheet related to the ₹504 crore IDFC First bank scam involving different departments and entities of the Haryana government. The officers named are Saket Kumar, RK Singh (Ram Kumar Singh), Pankaj Agarwal, Pradeep Kumar, Vineet Garg and Mohammad Shayin.
According to the charge sheet, the officers have been accused of allegedly conspiring with private bank officials and other persons to transfer government funds to private banks. The allegations include ignoring rules for selecting banks and investing in fixed deposits, exceeding limits set by the Finance Department. The funds were transferred using allegedly forged or altered documents, hiding evidence and accepting alleged bribes or other benefits.
Allegations Against Pankaj Agarwal
The supplementary charge sheet in the IDFC First Bank-AU Small Finance Bank case contains serious allegations against Pankaj Agarwal. He had served as Commissioner and Secretary of the School Education Department and later as Principal Secretary of the Agriculture Department.
The CBI has alleged that Agarwal received undue benefits from former bank official Ribhav Rishi. According to the charge sheet, Rishi allegedly arranged parties, hotel stays and other services for Agarwal.
The investigation alleges that parties were organised four times between November 2025 and January 2026 at Hotel Z-Manor in Zirakpur. Rishi allegedly paid for the performers, catering and alcohol. The charge sheet also alleges that women were called to hotels in Chandigarh and Mohali on different occasions.
According to the CBI, a woman was called to Hotel Novotel in Chandigarh on December 24, 2025, with the payment allegedly made through UPI by Abhay Kumar, an associate of Ribhav Rishi. On January 10, 2026, a suite was allegedly booked at Hotel Wyndham in Mohali and another woman was called there. The charge sheet says ₹75,000 was paid for this arrangement using Rishi’s funds.
The CBI claims that Agarwal’s presence and his return home from the hotel were supported by records, including hotel booking details and Uber records. It also alleges that Rishi used his credit card to make a booking at Andaz by Hyatt in Aerocity, Delhi, in October 2025. During the same month, Rishi allegedly paid ₹19,399 in cash for a party organised for Agarwal’s wife at Hotel Novotel in Chandigarh.
The investigating agency says these allegations were supported by hotel records, CCTV footage, UPI transactions, call records and witness statements.
Allegations Involving Saket Kumar
According to the charge sheet, Saket Kumar served as Commissioner and Secretary of the Development and Panchayats Department from June 16, 2025, to April 10, 2026. He also held additional charge as Managing Director of Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL).
The CBI alleges that Kumar approved a proposal to open bank accounts by simply writing “Seen”, even though the authority to select the bank rested with the Director General. The charge sheet states that no quotations were invited and approval was not obtained from the Finance Department.
The investigation alleges that, following a recommendation from former IDFC Bank official Ribhav Rishi through former Panchayat Department official Naresh Kumar, Kumar influenced DG DK Behera to open accounts with IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank.
The charge sheet also refers to an alleged plan to withdraw ₹25 crore from the HPGCL Pension Fund Trust and deposit the amount with IDFC Bank on December 29, 2025. It further states that Kumar was a member of a WhatsApp group called “Sukoon”, which included IDFC Bank officials.
Allegations Against RK Singh
The charge sheet also contains allegations against RK Singh, who was then Commissioner of the Panchkula Municipal Corporation.
According to the CBI, ₹50 lakh was allegedly delivered to Singh’s residence on January 11, 2026. The agency further alleges that ₹2 crore was handed over to his son, Prashant Singh, in Delhi on January 22 in three instalments of ₹1 crore, ₹50 lakh and ₹50 lakh.
The charge sheet states that a ₹10 currency note’s serial number was allegedly used for verification of the transaction.
The CBI has also alleged procedural irregularities in the opening of fixed deposits by Singh. When Section Officer Anil Kumar reportedly suggested inviting quotations before making the investment, Singh allegedly objected. The charge sheet further alleges that Kumar was later removed from his position.
Another allegation concerns the opening of an account for Kalka Municipal Council at the Sector-32 Chandigarh branch, despite another branch being available closer to the council.
Allegations Involving Vineet Garg
The CBI charge sheet also refers to several alleged procedural irregularities involving Vineet Garg, who was Chairman of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board.
According to the charge sheet, IDFC First Bank was allegedly given preference in several investment decisions during his tenure. On October 24, 2025, the Member Secretary had reportedly recommended investing ₹25 crore each in IndusInd Bank and IDFC. However, the decision was allegedly changed so that the entire ₹50 crore was invested in IDFC.
The CBI has also alleged that verbal instructions were given on May 6, 2025, to withdraw ₹3.50 crore from ICICI Bank and deposit the money with IDFC. The agency has also referred to alleged procedural irregularities in opening an IDFC account.
The investigation further alleges that two 50-gram gold coins were delivered to Garg’s residence through Ribhav Rishi before Diwali. The CBI has cited call records and witness statements among the evidence relating to these allegations.
Allegations Involving Mohammad Shayin
The charge sheet also refers to Mohammad Shayin, who was Managing Director and Chairman of HPGCL at the relevant time.
According to the CBI, IDFC First Bank benefited from the investment of government funds during his tenure. The agency alleges that Shayin played an important role in facilitating meetings between Ribhav Rishi, who was then a bank branch manager, and government officials.
The CBI alleges that these actions helped facilitate the deposit of ₹50 crore with IDFC and the subsequent removal of a ₹50 crore deposit limit imposed on the bank.
The charge sheet also alleges that Ribhav Rishi paid hotel and restaurant bills worth around ₹1.67 lakh and made several visits to Shayin’s residence.
₹50 Crore Deposit and Alleged Interest Loss
The CBI has also referred to an FD of around ₹108.46 crore with IndusInd Bank that was prematurely liquidated in November 2024. According to the charge sheet, ₹50 crore from this amount was subsequently deposited with IDFC.
The investigating agency alleges that the move resulted in an interest loss of around ₹1.66 crore for HPGCL. The charge sheet further discusses subsequent actions relating to the removal of the deposit limit for IDFC while Shayin was serving in the Finance Department.
Allegations Are Part of CBI Investigation
The allegations against the six officers are part of the CBI’s charge sheet and relate to the agency’s investigation into the alleged bank-fund diversion case. The allegations are matters for the legal process, and the charge sheet itself does not amount to a finding of guilt against the accused.
