IDFC First Bank discloses Rs 590-crore fraud by staff in Haryana govt accounts; suspends four, probe underway

On Sunday, the IDFC First Bank revealed a Rs 590-crore fraud committed by its employees and others in accounts held by the Haryana government with the private sector lender.

In a regulatory filing, IDFC First Bank said it had revealed the matter to the banking regulator and also filed a police complaint.

"Prima facie, unauthorised and fraudulent activities have been carried out by certain employees at a particular branch in Chandigarh in a specific set of Haryana state government accounts and potentially involving other individuals/entities/counterparties," the filing statement said.

At present, the bank estimated the fraud size at Rs 590 crore and added that a "reconciliation exercise" will determine the final amount based on further information, validation of claims, and recoveries of any nature.

Providing details of the fraud, the bank said a Haryana government department had been banking with IDFC First Bank, and the lender received a request for a closure and balance transfer to another bank on an undisclosed date.

"In the process, certain discrepancies were observed in the amount mentioned vis-a -vis the balance in the account," it said, adding that similar issues were seen in other accounts of Haryana government entities, who engaged with the bank from February 18 onwards.

IDFC First Bank informed that a preliminary internal review was conducted, and the matter is "confined to a specific group of government-linked accounts within Haryana Government" operated through the said branch in Chandigarh" and stressed that it does not extend to other customers of the Chandigarh branch.

"The aggregate amount under reconciliation across the identified accounts at the abovementioned Branch is approximately Rs 590 crore," it disclosed.

Four officials working for the IDFC First Bank have been placed under suspension pending investigation, the bank said, assuring strict disciplinary, civil and criminal action against the employees and other external individuals responsible.

As a recovery measure, IDFC First Bank has sent "recall request" to certain beneficiary banks to "lien mark balance" in suspicious accounts held in these banks, the exchange filing said.

Statutory auditors have been informed, and the bank will also be conducting an independent forensic audit by appointing an independent external agency.

Following the discovery, IDFC First Bank placed the matter before a "Special Committee of the Board for Monitoring and Follow-up of Cases of Frauds" on February 20, and apprised the audit committee and the board a day later.

The IDFC First Bank scrip had gained 0.72 per cent to close at Rs 83.56 apiece on the BSE on Friday, as against gains of 0.38 per cent on the benchmark.

In the three months ended December 31, 2025, the bank had reported a 24 per cent jump in deposits, including a 33 per cent rise in the share of the low-cost current and savings account deposits. Its net profit had zoomed 48 per cent to Rs 503 crore for the October-December period.

(with PTI inputs)