Rs 3.5-cr fraud hits ancestral village of ex-CM Chautala; four suspended

A massive corruption scandal has rocked the Chautala Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS) in Sirsa district, prompting swift disciplinary action by the authorities. Cooperation Minister Dr Arvind Sharma took immediate steps after the exposure of a financial irregularity estimated at around Rs 3.5 crore.

The scam surfaced following an audit report, after which Naresh Kumar, Assistant Registrar of Cooperative Societies in Dabwali, constituted a four-member investigation team, including two inspectors. As a result of the inquiry, PACS manager Shripal and salesmen Neeraj and Pramod were suspended last week. Subhash Chandra, the branch manager, was also placed under suspension.

Naresh Kumar confirmed that the embezzlement, involving government funds exceeding Rs 3.5 crore, took place between April 1, 2022, and the present day. “The accused withheld government money and failed to deposit it in the bank,” Kumar stated. He has filed a written complaint with the Sirsa Superintendent of Police (SP), requesting an FIR and the arrest of the accused. Kumar also noted that financial transactions prior to April 1, 2022, are now under scrutiny.

During the probe, officials recovered over Rs 53 lakh in cash from the manager’s possession. Further, discrepancies in stock records revealed a shortfall of Rs 2.64 crore in fertilisers, livestock feed and veterinary medicines. Investigators also found that the manager and salesmen had misappropriated funds by drawing unauthorised salaries, rent allowances, and relief payments.

The scandal has sparked wider attention due to Chautala village being the ancestral home of former Haryana Chief Minister Chaudhary Om Prakash Chautala. Additional irregularities were uncovered at the Chautala Fertiliser Sales Centre and the Asakhera Sales Centre, where cash sales were not recorded in official ledgers.

Minister Dr Arvind Sharma said, “No guilty party will be spared. Corruption in any government institution will not be tolerated.”