Panchkula, March 25: The Haryana State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has taken over the investigation into a Rs 150-crore scam involving the Panchkula Municipal Corporation’s bank accounts. Kotak Mahindra Bank affirmed on Wednesday that it is fully cooperating with government authorities and has submitted a formal complaint to law enforcement to facilitate a thorough inquiry into the transactions.
The probe was triggered after discrepancies were noted in the municipal accounts, prompting the state’s top leadership to tighten scrutiny on banking operations involving public money. Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi declared that the vigilance department would lead the efforts to uncover the extent of the fraud, which mirrors a previous Rs 590-crore case involving other private lenders in the region.
The bank stated that its preliminary examination of the records showed that all account opening procedures and instructions received from the MC were handled in adherence to applicable regulations. Officials maintained that the bank is working closely with the Municipal Corporation to reconcile the remaining funds.
“The bank has filed a formal complaint with the Panchkula Police to ensure the matter is examined independently,” a spokesperson asserted. Despite the bank’s filing, legal experts noted that the SV&ACB will likely maintain its lead role in the ongoing investigation to ensure a centralized probe into the missing civic body funds.
