CBI unearths Rs 207-crore scam in Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 19

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday said it has unearthed a scam worth Rs 207 crore in the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), which is chaired by the Chief Minister, wherein its funds were transferred to a “fake” account in Bank of Baroda, officials in the agency said.

The officials said the CBI officials carried out searches at the office and residence of Bank of Baroda’s Patparganj branch manager and at the office of DUSIB. During searches documents related to the forged or fake FDRs were recovered from the premises of the bank manager.

They said the scam surfaced during a recent joint surprise check conducted by the CBI which has registered a case against unidentified officials of DUSIB and BOB.

The check conducted at the accounts section of DUSIB head office showed that 112 fixed deposits worth Rs 214 crore were opened at the Patparganj branch of Bank of Baroda between September 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, the officials informed.

The amount was taken out from five accounts of DUSIB at Central Bank of India to two accounts at BoB to create these fixed deposits, they said, adding that the FD receipts are printed on just an A4 sheet of paper and not on security papers.

The documents also showed that only three fixed deposits worth over Rs 6.01 crore have been issued in the name of DUSIB, while 109 fixed deposits worth over Rs 207 crore are “fake securities” and the money has been misappropriated, the CBI has alleged in its FIR.

The agency also found out that DUSIB maintains all its accounts in the Central Bank of India and the account in BoB was not opened by it or with its authority, they said.

The account was opened in October 2020 showing DUSIB as a company, even though it is a board, on the basis of documents which prima facie do not look genuine, the agency alleged in its FIR.