BILASPUR – In a move to unearth what it describes as a “huge scam,” the High Court of Chhattisgarh has officially transferred a complex financial fraud investigation involving over ₹165 crores to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The case, which centers on a bank account held by a man earning just ₹12,000 per month, has remained a “mystery” despite years of local police investigation.
The “Millionaire” Labourer
The legal saga began when Prabhunath Mishra, General Manager of a local labor union, filed a writ petition seeking a proper inquiry into suspicious transactions at the Khursipar Police Station in Durg.
The investigation centers on Animesh Singh, who was officially employed as a worker for contractor Hitesh Choubey on a modest monthly salary. However, according to court documents, Singh’s YES Bank account saw a staggering turnover of approximately ₹165 crores between 2018 and 2019.
A Web of Deceit and Counter-Claims
The case is further muddled by two conflicting FIRs filed in early 2020:
- Crime No. 20/2020: Animesh Singh alleged that Hitesh Choubey and others forcibly took his signature on blank checks and operated the bank account without his knowledge.
- Crime No. 24/2020: Hitesh Choubey filed a counter-complaint alleging that Singh had cheated him out of lakhs of rupees under the guise of loans.
While the local police eventually filed a closure report on Singh’s complaint due to “lack of evidence,” they pursued the cheating case against him. Singh was eventually arrested in April 2025 after a period of being untraceable.
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The UPI “Dead End”
A significant hurdle in the investigation has been the lack of transparency regarding 101 UPI transactions. YES Bank officials reportedly informed investigators they were “unable to retrieve” details for these specific transactions, claiming technical limitations or that the data was no longer available in their system.
Furthermore, the Income Tax Department revealed that Singh had approximately ₹15.58 crores in unexplained credits. Despite recording statements from over 200 account holders, the local police could not identify the source or destination of the bulk of the funds.
High Court Loses Patience
The bench, comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, expressed deep dissatisfaction with the progress of the local authorities. The court noted that the local police and the bank failed to “synchronize their steps to unearth the truth”.
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“The financial status of the person… from whose bank account the said huge transaction of money was made also creates doubt in the entire transaction,” the Court observed, noting that the situation “smells [of a] huge scam”.
The CBI Directive
Citing the potential for national or international ramifications and the need to instill public confidence, the Court exercised its extraordinary powers under Article 226 to hand the case to the CBI. The Superintendent of Police, Durg, has been directed to immediately hand over all case diaries and materials to the federal agency.
The CBI is expected to file an initial status report on the investigation by April 7, 2026