Chandigarh Smart City Limited scam: MC accountant took crores from accused, claim police

The Chandigarh police have claimed before the court that Anubhav Mishra, one of the key accused in the Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) fund scam of over Rs 116 crore, had received money in crores from other accused in the case.

The police claimed that Mishra fraudulently transferred Rs 3.23 crore in the account of CAPCO Fintech Services (a shell company of other accused) and Rs 4.98 crore in the account of Sunlive Solar System, which is not even empanelled with the Chandigarh MC.

The police made these claims while opposing the anticipatory bail application of Mishra.

The police told the court that the accused was working as an accountant in the MC office. Chandigarh Smart City Ltd was merged with the MC and Mishra was a member of the team constituted by the Municipal Commissioner to receive/take over the relevant record from the CSCL. Being an accountant, he had played an active role in taking over the accounts from the company.

The police said on March 28, 2025, a fresh account in IDFC First Bank was opened in the name of the MC, Chandigarh. Mishra, in connivance with other officials of the CSCL, MC and officials of the IDFC First Bank managed to create false and fabricated 11 FDRs for Rs 116.84 crore in favour of the Municipal Commissioner.

The police said investigation and disclosures made by the other accused arrested in the case, revealed that Mishra was the main conspirator/accused in the embezzlement of government funds. He was well aware of the fake FDRs as well as transactions from the government account to shell companies. He took huge amounts worth crores for this illegal act.

The police claimed that Mishra’s custodial interrogation was required to ascertain the names of other officials involved in this scam.

On the run for over one month, Mishra moved the court for anticipatory bail. The MC had terminated the services of Mishra, who had been working as accountant on an outsource basis, soon after the scam came to light. The FIR against him and bank officers has been registered on a complaint filed by the Municipal commissioner, who reported over Rs 116 crore fake FDRs and mismanagement of various bank accounts of the CSCL and the MC in the IDFC First Bank branch situated in Sector 32, Chandigarh.

In the bail application, Mishra denied all allegations levelled by the complainant, saying that he had no authority to make any transaction in the bank accounts. He claimed all transactions were done with the consent of senior MC officials. Meanwhile, the court sent accused Ribhav Rishi, Abhay Kumar, Seema Dhiman (officials of the IDFC First Bank), businessman Vikram Wadhwa and Sahil Kakkar an accountant with CREST, to 14-day judicial custody after their police remand ended today.