A major development regarding the investigation into Haryana’s high-profile ₹590 crore IDFC ‘Fruit Bank’ scam is expected to unfold shortly. According to sources, approval from the Centre for a CBI inquiry could be received as early as this week. Approximately 10 days ago, the Haryana government had written a letter requesting a CBI investigation. Currently, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is investigating the matter, and the probe conducted so far has brought several serious facts to light.
The ACB has sought approval from the government under Section 17A to initiate action against six officials—including five IAS officers—implicated in this case. However, the government has not yet taken a final decision on this matter. Consequently, the process of interrogating the IAS officers can only commence once the CBI investigation is underway. According to high-ranking sources, the ACB’s investigation has yielded indications that the entire scam was orchestrated with the tacit support of IAS officers, who also played a role in facilitating the opening of the bank accounts involved. During their interrogation by the ACB, three government officials have also disclosed the names of senior officers. This is precisely why both the government and the investigative agency desire an impartial and comprehensive inquiry into the matter by the CBI, in order to establish accountability.
CBI Does Not Require Section 17A Approval Prior to Taking Action: A crucial point to note is that the CBI does not require approval under Section 17A before initiating action against implicated IAS officers. This is because when a state government itself recommends a CBI inquiry, that recommendation is inherently issued with the requisite approval already granted. Furthermore, in accordance with the CBI’s operational protocols, officers belonging to the state cadre of the state where a major scam is being investigated are not included in the investigative team. Under this rule, if the investigation into this bank scam in Haryana is handed over to the CBI, the investigative team will not include any officer from the Haryana cadre, thereby ensuring that the inquiry remains completely impartial and transparent.
**Case Linked to Three Departments**
The IDFC Bank scam is linked to three departments of the Haryana government. This bank fraud involves the Pollution Control Department, the Panchayat Department, and the Municipal Corporation. In this scam, bank employees utilized fraudulent accounts to divert funds from government Fixed Deposits (FDs) into private accounts and fictitious firms. So far, four employees have been suspended or arrested in connection with this case. The bank has also fully reimbursed the funds.
**ED Conducts Raids at 19 Locations**
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested several individuals in this case, including bank employees, jewelers, and two finance officials of the Haryana government. Recently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also stepped into the investigation of this scam. The ED conducted raids at 19 different locations. Essentially, approximately ₹590 crore had been deposited in IDFC Bank by 18 departments of the Haryana government. These funds were deposited specifically for investment in Fixed Deposits (FDs). Subsequently, one of the departments requested the closure of its account and the transfer of its funds to another bank. During this process, a discrepancy was discovered between the actual balance in the account and the balance reported by the department. Starting February 18, 2026, other Haryana government entities also contacted the bank regarding their respective accounts. During the subsequent investigation, discrepancies were found between the balances reported by these entities and the balances recorded in the bank’s records.
**Chief Minister Hands Over Investigation to ACB**
Following the unearthing of the scam, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini entrusted the investigation of the case to the ACB. Acting with immediate effect, the ACB registered a case and arrested the bank manager, Ribhav Rishi. The manager, in collusion with government officials and other accused individuals, diverted these funds from the FDs… Instead of depositing the funds into Fixed Deposits (FDs), he had diverted them for his own personal gain. The investigation revealed that the accused had resigned from his position at the bank six months prior. Furthermore, Relationship Manager Abhay was arrested; acting in furtherance of the scheme devised by Ribhav Rishi, he had also enlisted the participation of his wife, Swati Singla, and his brother-in-law, Abhishek. He used to act as a liaison, approaching officials to facilitate the creation of Fixed Deposits within his branch. The investigation further disclosed that Swati Singla had established a company named ‘Swastik Desh Project,’ in which she held a 75 percent stake. Acting at the behest of her husband, Abhay, she set up this company to channel the funds into other accounts, from where they were subsequently invested in real estate and the stock market.
