The Haryana government on Thursday placed two IAS officers, Pradeep Kumar of the 2011 batch and Ram Kumar Singh of the 2012 batch, under immediate suspension.
Separate orders regarding this were issued by chief secretary Anurag Rastogi on Wednesday night.
While no reason was ascribed for the suspension of the two officers, who were promoted from the state civil service to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), it is learnt that the action is linked to the ongoing investigations into the alleged misappropriation and embezzlement of government funds by private sector banks, IDFC First, AU Small Finance and Kotak Mahindra.
Officials said Pradeep Kumar served as member secretary of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board from August 31, 2022 to December 10, 2025, a period now under scrutiny for the HSPCB’s banking transactions.
Ram Kumar Singh held the post of Panchkula municipal corporation commissioner from July 10, 2025 to January 28, 2026, during which the alleged misappropriation of funds took place in the urban local body.
Rule 3(1) (a) of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969, states that if, having regard to the circumstances in any case and, where articles of charge have been drawn up, the nature of the charges, the state government or the central government is satisfied that it is necessary or desirable to place under suspension a member of the service against whom disciplinary proceedings are contemplated or are pending, that government may pass an order placing him under suspension.
Before their suspension, Pradeep Kumar was posted as director, state transport, and Ram Kumar Singh was posted as special secretary, revenue and additional CEO, Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority.
During the suspension period, both officers shall be entitled to subsistence allowance in accordance with rule 4 of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, and their headquarters will be the office of Haryana chief secretary (Services-I Branch) at Chandigarh, the suspension order said.
Forgery and fund embezzlement
The scams involve a multi-layered web of financial fraud totalling approximately ₹950 crore, primarily driven by the illegal diversion of government funds through private sector banks. The largest component is a ₹590– ₹597 crore embezzlement case involving IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank, where money intended for fixed deposits (FDs) across several departments, including the Haryana State Pollution Control Board, was siphoned into shell companies like Swastik Desh Projects and used for luxury assets and real estate.
The second scam involves a ₹150– ₹158 crore fraud at Kotak Mahindra Bank, where officials at the Panchkula Municipal Corporation allegedly used forged seals and signatures to open unauthorised accounts and prematurely liquidate FDs.
These irregularities were unearthed in phases between July 2025 and February 2026. The discrepancies first surfaced when departments like the urban local bodies and the development and panchayats department attempted to close accounts or verify FD balances, only to discover forged bank statements and missing funds.
The investigation gained momentum in March 2026 with the arrest of key conspirators and the subsequent de-empanelling of the involved private banks by the Haryana government.
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