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From earning a modest ₹1,500 a month as a caretaker to owning multiple prime properties in the city worth over ₹100 crore, 52-year-old Vikram Wadhwa, who has emerged as the “kingpin” in a suspected ₹590-crore banking fraud involving accounts of several Haryana government departments, has been known for his extravagant lifestyle.
The Haryana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which is probing the case, has already issued a look-out circular seeking his detention at airports, seaports and land borders. Wadhwa went into hiding even before the FIR was registered, a senior ACB official said. Six persons have been arrested so far.
An intermediate pass-out from a modest background, Wadhwa moved to Chandigarh from Malout in Punjab in the early 1990s. His late father was a government schoolteacher while his late mother was a homemaker.
Dramatic rise in his fortune
Over the years, his financial trajectory saw a dramatic rise. He now owns a two-kanal house in Sector 33 and one-kanal houses in Sectors 21 and 36, collectively worth ₹100 crore. He recently purchased a farmhouse in New Chandigarh for around ₹10 crore. He is also a designated partner in three limited liability partnership (LLP) firms — Prisma Residency, Kinspire Realty and Martell Buildwell — operating in Mohali.
After completing Class XII in Malout, Wadhwa shifted to Chandigarh and began working as a caretaker at some guest houses run by his maternal uncles, drawing a monthly salary of ₹1,500. In the early 2000s, he entered the real estate business as a property dealer.
In 2008, he purchased a hotel, Landmark, in Sector 22. He also served as a director of Citiheights Hotels Pvt Ltd, which operates from an office in Sector 22. Known for his proximity to influential circles, Wadhwa reportedly ran a discotheque, Chandiland, in Sector 7. The establishment later shut down following the Covid-19 lockdown.
Led an extravagant lifestyle
Wadhwa allegedly led an extravagant lifestyle that stood in sharp contrast to his modest beginnings. He was often seen wearing a Rolex watch worth nearly ₹15 lakh and Louis Vuitton shoes priced at around ₹1 lakh. He also owns a Range Rover estimated to be worth ₹3 crore.
Family sources claim he travelled abroad frequently and hosted lavish parties attended by high-profile guests and influential figures. One of his sons pursued higher education in London, while the other is currently employed with a real estate firm in Gurugram. His affinity for luxury brands and elite companies has now drawn the attention of investigators examining the financial trail behind his meteoric rise.
How the ‘fraud’ was executed
A preliminary investigation suggests Wadhwa allegedly leveraged his connections with senior officials in the Haryana government to orchestrate the fraud. Sources said he persuaded certain department heads to park government funds as fixed deposits in a private bank after allegedly coordinating with bank officials.
Once the deposits were made, the funds were allegedly diverted through a network of shell companies created for the purpose. Investigators suspect that substantial amounts were siphoned off and channelled into the purchase of high-value properties and other assets.
Nearly ₹100 crore was allegedly transferred to prominent jewellers in the city to purchase gold. Around ₹10 crore was reportedly routed to the bank accounts of relatives and close associates, with the funds later returned in cash, converting accounted money into unaccounted assets.
The probe has revealed that funds were siphoned from multiple government bodies, including the Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited, development and panchayats department, and Panchkula Municipal Corporation. The money was allegedly diverted through the accounts of M/s Swastik Desh Project to certain jewellers and private individuals.
Interrogation of the accused and analysis of documents and digital evidence, including call detail records (CDRs), have pointed to the active involvement of Mohali-based businessman Manish Jindal. Investigators allege he played a significant role in planning and executing the conspiracy and received substantial cash and valuables. Jindal was formally arrested on February 28.
With Wadhwa still absconding, the ACB has intensified efforts to trace him. Despite repeated attempts, his family could not be contacted as their phones were coming switched off.
