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AAI manager held for embezzling ₹232 crore from Dehradun airport
CBI arrested AAI officer Rahul Vijay for embezzling ₹232 crore from Dehradun airport by falsifying records over four years. Investigation ongoing.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) officer for allegedly siphoning off public funds worth ₹232 crore from Dehradun airport by manipulating official and electronic records over four years, officials said on Saturday.
According to officials, the accused, Rahul Vijay, was posted as a senior manager (finance and accounts) at the Dehradun airport between 2019 and 2023, and is currently serving in the same capacity at Jaipur airport.
On August 26, an FIR was filed with CBI against Vijay after a complaint from Chandrakant P, senior manager (finance) in AAI on August 23, accusing Vijay of misusing his position as an authorised signatory to the airport’s bank account and diverted funds to his personal account under the guise of asset creation.
According to CBI and AAI probe, Vijay created fictitious assets and inflated figures to mask the transfers. Investigators discovered that he added extra zeros to entries to evade routine checks.
In one such instance, in September 2021, he transferred ₹189 crore into his personal account by recording ₹67.81 crore as expenditure for electrical works at the new terminal building and fabricated 17 additional assets valued at ₹189 crore, it added.
CBI said the accused engaged in “a systematic scheme of fraud”, creating duplicate records, manipulating data, and diverting public funds into his personal accounts. A preliminary analysis of bank transactions revealed that the siphoned money was later moved into trading accounts.
On August 28, searches at Vijay’s residence and office in Jaipur led to the recovery of incriminating documents.
Of the ₹232 crore allegedly embezzled, about ₹ ₹43 crore was disbursed under different revenue expenditure heads during Vijay’s tenure at Dehradun, said a CBI official privy to the case.
Based on the probe, CBI booked Vijay, along with unknown public servants, under IPC sections for criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, forgery, falsification of accounts, and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
CBI said on Saturday, “The accused has been arrested. Further investigation is underway.”
