CBI questions IAS officers Alok Kumar, Aparna U in UPPCL provident fund scam

The CBI has questioned senior IAS officers Alok Kumar and Aparna U in connection with alleged irregularities in the investment of provident fund money of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) employees in the scam-hit DHFL and other non-banking financial companies, sources said on Sunday.

The two officers were questioned by CBI sleuths on Saturday, they said.

During investigation of the provident fund scam, the CBI has learnt that over Rs 4,323 crore of hard-earned savings of UPPCL employees was allegedly invested in these companies with the nod of Kumar, a 1988-batch IAS officer who was posted as Chairman of UPPCL in 2017-19, they said.

The agency has also found that Rs 3,245 crore was allegedly invested in DHFL and other non-banking financial companies with the clearance of Aparna U, a 2001-batch IAS officer who was posted as Managing Director of UPPCL in 2017-19, they said.

The CBI took over the investigation into the scam on March 5 this year after taking over the FIR registered at Hazratganj Police station in Lucknow, they said.

Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd. (DHFL) is facing multiple probes after a report suggested that the company, through layers of shell companies, allegedly siphoned off Rs 31,000 crore out of the total bank loan of Rs 97,000 crore.

It is also alleged that officials of UPPCL conspired to get the provident funds deposited in schemes of DHFL circumventing the rules which did not encourage such investments.