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

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today examined two IAS officers: Alok Kumar, the then Chairman of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) and Aparna U, the then Managing Director of UPPCL in connection with its ongoing probe into the the over Rs 2,268 crore Employee Provident Fund scandal in Uttar Pradesh, said people with direct knowledge of the matter.

The agency, on March 5, registered an FIR against Pravin Kumar Gupta, former secretary of the UP State Power Sector Employees' Trust; and Sudhanshu Dwivedi, former director, finance, of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited. The duo have been booked on charges of criminal breach of trust, cheating and forgery. Both were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police last November.

It is alleged that financial irregularities were committed by senior officials of state-owned UP Power Sector Employees Trust, who violated norms while investing Rs 2,631 crore of the trust's funds with a controversial private mortgage lender Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL), which is facing an ED probe on charges of money laundering.


It is alleged that massive funds were transferred to the DHFL by the UP PowerSector Employees Trust, beginning March 17, 2017, two days before Yogi Adityanath took oath as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. The case was handed over to CBI on the recommendation of UP government. Last year, the UP Police had registered an FIR into the scandal at the Hazratganj police station and later (in November) arrested Gupta and Dwivedi.