The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed the anticipatory bail pleas of several high-ranking officials of the Faridabad Municipal Corporation (MC) in connection with an alleged ₹12-crore financial scandal. The court observed that the gravity of the allegations, involving the misappropriation of public funds, requires custodial interrogation to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy.
The Scandal Overview The case pertains to the illegal release of payments worth ₹12 crore for civil works that were allegedly never executed.
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The Allegations: It is alleged that MC officials, in collusion with certain contractors, cleared bills and released payments without any physical verification of the work on the ground. The funds were purportedly meant for road repairs and sanitation projects.
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The High Court’s Observation: While denying the bail, the single-judge bench noted that the scam appears to be deep-rooted and involves a “well-oiled machinery” within the corporation. The court emphasized that granting pre-arrest bail would hamper the ongoing investigation by the State Vigilance Bureau/Anti-Corruption Bureau.
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Custodial Interrogation: The court agreed with the prosecution’s argument that the officials need to be interrogated in custody to trace the money trail and identify other beneficiaries of the scam.
Current Status of Officials Following the rejection of their bail pleas, the concerned officials—including [Omitted – specific designations like Executive Engineer or Accounts Officers]—are now facing immediate arrest. The Faridabad police and the vigilance department have formed special teams to conduct raids at their known residences and offices.
Administrative Crackdown The Haryana government has already suspended some of the implicated officials as part of its “zero tolerance toward corruption” policy. Local activists in Faridabad, who initially flagged the discrepancy in the corporation’s accounts, have welcomed the High Court’s decision, calling it a victory for taxpayers.
The Municipal Corporation is also conducting an internal audit of all major payments released over the last two years to check for similar irregularities.
