Chandigarh: A special CBI court on Friday dismissed a regular bail application of Amit Kumar, a contractual accounts clerk with the Haryana Labour Welfare Board (HLWB), in connection with the Rs 50 crore govt funds scam.Special judge Vijayant Sehgal observed that the investigation prima facie established Kumar’s active involvement in the alleged conspiracy to siphon off Rs 50 crore of govt funds through IDFC First Bank.The court noted that the prosecution had alleged that Kumar facilitated the opening of an unauthorised savings account in the bank without approval from the competent authority. The account was allegedly used to divert Rs 50 crore belonging to the board.According to the investigation, Kumar shared the photograph of an authorised signatory and the mobile number of co-accused Abhishek Singla through WhatsApp to facilitate the account opening and receipt of SMS alerts. He allegedly dealt with the bank through co-accused Abhay Kumar on WhatsApp, deliberately keeping email correspondence off the record.The court also took note of allegations that Kumar concealed a bank communication dated May 6, 2025, which disclosed the actual account balance and absence of a fixed deposit. He allegedly deleted WhatsApp conversations with Abhay Kumar to conceal the transactions.A cash deposit of Rs 50,000 into Kumar’s account, reflected in chats retrieved from Abhay Kumar’s phone, was cited by the prosecution as an alleged quid pro quo.“The prosecution has prima facie pointed to the active involvement of the applicant-accused in the whole conspiracy,” the court observed, adding that the evidentiary value of the material would be tested during trial.Kumar, arrested on July 8, 2026, had argued that he was merely discharging clerical duties, had no decision-making authority and was no longer required for custodial interrogation. The court, however, held that the magnitude of the alleged fraud and its impact on public finances could not be overlooked.
