CBI questions 2 IAS officers in UPPCL-DHFL case

NEW DELHI: The CBI has now questioned two IAS officers in connection with the UPPCL (UP Power Corporation Limited) provident fund scam, where it was found that officials had allegedly colluded with Dewan Housing Finance Limited to purportedly invest public funds into the debt-ridden housing financing company among others, sources here said on Sunday.

Officials in the know added that Alok Kumar (UP:1988) and Aparna (UP:2001) were questioned by CBI sleuths in connection with the case on Saturday and are investigating their roles in the scam while they were holding office at the

UPPCL.

The Central Bureau of Investigation had registered a case against the then Director (Finance) Sudhanshu Dwivedi and Secretary (Trust) Pravin Kumar Gupta in March this year after the Uttar Pradesh government had consented to a federal probe in the matter.

Sources here said that the two IAS officials who were questioned had allegedly overseen the investment of around

Rs 4,323 crore of provident fund monies in several housing finance companies including the DHFL between 2017 and 2019. Kumar was the UPPCL Chairman from May `17 to July'19; whereas Aparna was the managing Director of UPPCL from October `17 to July `19.

At least three former officials of the UPPCL were arrested by state police last year in connection with the scam, just when the connection to DHFL was unearthed, following which the state recommended the case to be transferred to the CBI. So far, a total of 11 people have been arrested in the case, all of whom are currently in jail, officials here said.