Delhi LG nod to CBI probe against two officials in ₹223 crore ‘fraud’

CBI filed a case in 2022 against the then forest department officials for allegedly transferring ₹223 crore from department’s bank account to a fake account

Delhi’s lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena has granted permission for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation against two officials of the Delhi government’s department of forests and wildlife in a corruption case involving ₹223 crore, officials from the LG’s office said on Wednesday.

In another case, the LG gave approval to the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) to conduct an investigation against two nurses of the GB Pant Hospital in a bribery case involving ₹60,000. (PTI)

CBI registered a case in 2022 against the then forest department officials — Parasnath Yadav and Alam Singh Rawat, who were respectively the senior account officer and assistant account officer — for allegedly entering into a criminal conspiracy with LA Khan, the then senior branch manager of the Bank of Baroda’s Paharganj branch, and others. They allegedly transferred ₹223 crore from the account of the forest and wildlife department to a fake savings account in the bank’s same branch in the name of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, another government agency, on the basis of a forged letter purportedly issued by the department of forests and wildlife, the LG office said.

However, it is still under investigation why the money was transferred, officials aware of the matter said.

Yadav, who is a group “A” officer, is currently the pay and accounts officer in principal accounts office of the Delhi government. Rawat is currently the accounts officer at Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital in Pitampura. The file seeking permission under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act for CBI investigation was submitted to the LG by the directorate of vigilance through National Capital Civil Services Authority.

In another case, the LG gave approval to the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) to conduct an investigation against two nurses of the GB Pant Hospital in a bribery case involving ₹60,000. The accused officers demanded ₹60,000 each from two nursing officers for allowing them “light duty”, according to ACB. One of the nursing officers also alleged that both accused had taken ₹42,000 for exemption of duty from the Covid-19 desk.