CBI probes Rs 2 crore fraud at India’s Geneva mission linked to crypto-gambling

The CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) has launched a probe into the alleged embezzlement of more than 2 lakh Swiss francs (around Rs 2 crore) from India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva by a former accounts officer who is suspected of diverting the funds to bankroll crypto-gambling activities, officials said.

The accused, Mohit, joined the Permanent Mission in Geneva on 17 December 2024 as an assistant section officer. He was assigned the responsibility of physically submitting payment instructions to the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS), where the Mission maintains accounts in US dollars (USD) and Swiss francs (CHF).

According to officials, the fraud was detected in the CHF account of the Mission. Payments to Swiss vendors were made on the basis of invoices that carried pre-printed QR codes containing the vendors’ bank details and invoice information. These QR codes, along with payment instruction slips signed by the Attache (Administration and Establishment) and Drawing and Disbursing Officer Tushar Lakra, were submitted to UBS for processing.

It was standard practice at the Mission to collate multiple vendor QR codes under a single bank payment instruction slip. Mohit was entrusted with the task of physically carrying these QR codes and instruction slips to the bank. He also had account viewing rights along with the Head of Chancery, Amit Kumar, officials said.

Investigators suspect that Mohit exploited this process by surreptitiously replacing some vendor QR codes with self-generated QR codes linked to his personal CHF account at UBS.

As a result, payments meant for vendors were diverted to his own account. Using this method, he allegedly siphoned off more than CHF 200,000 during the year.

Officials said the diversion went undetected for several months because the pre-printed acknowledgement slips attached to the QR codes were not altered. In addition, Mohit allegedly edited monthly bank statements by replacing his name with that of the intended vendor. These doctored statements were then used during routine account reconciliations, neutralising a key financial control mechanism.

The scam came to light after auditors detected duplicate payments made to a local vendor, Ejey Travels, prompting a detailed review of transactions. The analysis pointed to a suspected loss of around CHF 200,000. When confronted, Mohit is said to have submitted a written confession admitting that he diverted the funds to finance crypto-gambling activities.

Following the discovery, Mohit was immediately repatriated to India along with his family. Officials said he claimed to have paid CHF 12,830 to Ejey Travels for deposit into the Mission’s account, and corresponding entries were found. He also credited CHF 9,825 and CHF 28,000 into the Mission’s account before his repatriation.

The CBI has registered a case against Mohit under charges of criminal breach of trust, forgery, falsification of accounts, and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Officials said the investigation is ongoing.

The case adds to a series of recent probes in which government officials are accused of embezzling public funds to finance online trading, gaming, gambling or crypto-related activities, officials added.