Dehradun Airport Scam Case: CBI Arrests AAI Manager For Embezzlement Of Rs 232 Crore

The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Rahul Vijay, a senior manager with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), on charges of misappropriation of nearly Rs 232 crore. Officials described it as one of the biggest financial frauds of the year, according to an NDTV report.

The FIR says that the case was unearthed after a complaint was filed by AAI, citing grave irregularities while Vijay was working at Dehradun Airport between 2019 and 2023. Investigators accuse him of tampering with electronic records, forging assets, replicating bills and inflating amounts, mostly by adding extra zeros, for allegedly diverting public funds.

Vijay has also been accused of sending the diverted funds to his personal bank accounts. Initial examination of banking transactions also shows that the so-credited money was later on transferred to trading accounts by the accused, thus draining public funds, the CBI said. NDTV said in one instance, Vijay allegedly diverted Rs 189 crore at one go by adding an extra zero to a contract entry.

On Aug. 28, the CBI searched Vijay's office and residence in Jaipur. They confiscated personal materials incriminating him, such as immovable property documents and securities. The agency said that the investigation was going on since the authorities are still tracing the money trails. The scam shocked the AAI and raised questions regarding how such a humongous fraud went undetected by routine audits for years, according to NDTV.

The FIR says that a complaint lodged on Aug. 18 by Dehradun airport senior manager (finance) Chandrakanth P alleged that Vijay used systematic fraud and siphoned off AAI money. The complaint added that Vijay routed money into his personal accounts by manipulating records and abusing his position wilfully.

The complaint also mentioned that abnormal asset capitalisation from 2019 to 2020 and then again from 2022 to 2023 led to a detailed audit that detected fraudulent transfers of Rs 232 crore. The FIR also mentioned that Vijay, being an authorised signatory of the AAI bank account of SBI, had allegedly abused his position to generate multiple user IDs and transfer funds in instalments. He first transferred the money in small quantities and then in large quantities to evade detection.