Haryana: Vigilance books 5 horticulture officials for ‘embezzlement’

State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau registered an FIR against five horticulture department officials for embezzlement since 2007.

The accused include a former District Horticulture Officer (DHO), three Horticulture Development Officers (HDOs), and an accountant.

The FIR was filed at ACB Ambala on July 29 under IPC sections 120-B, 409, 420, 467, 468, and 471.

Officials allegedly bought plants and fertilizers at inflated prices and claimed subsidies for orchards, mushroom units, and drip-irrigation that were not actually set up.

A case from 2007-08 involved manipulating family member names to obtain illegal subsidies worth ₹1.35 lakh.