The Haryana State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has filed a massive 21,159-page chargesheet in the alleged Panchkula Municipal Corporation funds scam, claiming that the civic body suffered a direct financial loss of approximately ₹338.27 crore.
Investigators further allege that the diverted funds were routed through multiple banking layers, with the total value of financial transactions exceeding ₹900 crore.
The matter is scheduled for its next hearing on August 5.
Chargesheet Filed Before Court
According to the Vigilance Bureau, the chargesheet has been submitted before the court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge.
Investigators allege that the accused conspired to divert government funds by:
- Using forged banking documents
- Manipulating account operations
- Creating fraudulent financial records
- Layering transactions through multiple bank accounts
- Concealing the identities of beneficiaries
The agency says the alleged fraud was executed in several stages to make the money trail difficult to trace.
Alleged Fraud Began With Genuine Accounts
According to investigators, genuine Municipal Corporation bank accounts were initially opened in 2020.
The agency alleges that forged:
- Letters
- Cheques
- Banking instructions
- Supporting documents
were later used to divert government funds into other accounts.
Investigators further claim that additional bank accounts carrying identical account names were subsequently opened using forged documentation and mobile numbers allegedly linked to co-conspirators.
These accounts were allegedly used to further transfer and layer public funds.
Multiple Individuals Named as Accused
The chargesheet names several accused, including:
- Former bank official Pushpinder Chaudhary
- Dilip Raghav
- Rajat Dahra
- Priyanka Raizada
- Swati Tomar
- Neha Saini alias Neha Samar Ranga
- Kapil
- Sonia
- Former Municipal Corporation Senior Accounts Officer Vikas Kaushik
According to investigators, all of them are presently in judicial custody.
Absconding Accused Being Traced
Investigators stated that businessman Sunny Garg, Samar Mohan Ranga, and several other suspects have been declared absconding.
Efforts continue to:
- Trace their locations
- Identify financial assets
- Examine banking records
- Recover documentary evidence
- Determine their alleged roles in the conspiracy
Links With Another Major Government Funds Case
The Vigilance Bureau informed the court that the investigation remains active.
Officials stated that Surender Jain, previously arrested in the separate alleged ₹593 crore Haryana government funds fraud case, has now been included as a prosecution witness in the present matter.
Investigators are examining possible:
- Financial overlaps
- Common beneficiaries
- Shared banking channels
- Common operational methods
- Connections between the two investigations
Alleged Money Trail Exceeded ₹900 Crore
Although investigators estimate the direct loss to the Municipal Corporation at ₹338.27 crore, they allege that the overall movement of funds exceeded ₹900 crore.
Financial investigators are analysing:
- Layered bank transfers
- Beneficiary accounts
- Banking records
- Digital transaction logs
- Documentary evidence
- Financial routing patterns
to identify the ultimate recipients of the diverted funds.
Investigation Continues
The Vigilance Bureau stated that filing the chargesheet does not conclude the investigation.
Officials will continue examining:
- Absconding suspects
- Additional beneficiaries
- Possible money laundering channels
- Financial records
- Banking evidence
- Digital documents
Further legal action may follow if new evidence emerges during the ongoing investigation.
The allegations remain under judicial examination, and criminal liability will ultimately be determined by the court based on the evidence presented.
Shunyatax Global Insight
Shunyatax Global says that large public fund frauds frequently rely on forged documentation, weak banking controls and complex transaction layering. Government institutions can reduce such risks by implementing maker-checker authorisation, AI-driven transaction monitoring, real-time reconciliation of government accounts, digital document authentication and continuous forensic audits to detect suspicious financial activity before substantial public losses occur.