On November 22, 2023, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) searched 13 places in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana in accordance with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Four Executive Engineers, two Divisional Accountants, and several staff members of Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN), and Yamunanagar (Haryana), had their homes searched. Digital devices, incriminating papers pertaining to real estate, fixed deposits, bank lockers, and unaccounted cash totalling Rs. 27.50 lahks were found and seized as a consequence of search operations.
The ED opened an investigation based on two First Information Reports (FIRs) that the Haryana Police had filed in Yamunannagar regarding fraud committed at Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN), Yamunanagar, Haryana. In this case, a significant sum of public funds was embezzled and misappropriated by being transferred from government accounts to the accounts of individuals (who were not legitimate beneficiaries) with the cooperation of UHBVN, and Yamunanagar officials. The illegal transfer of government cash to non-bona fide recipients by UHBVN staff has resulted in the loss of public monies amounting to Rs. 55 crore.
The results of the ED investigation showed that UHBVN staff in Yamunanagar created fake payment vouchers, which they then used to create checks that were deposited to the bank accounts of fictitious people, allowing the money to be siphoned off. Additional research is currently being conducted.
