Panchkula, Dec. 18 -- The Panchkula court has dismissed the anticipatory bail application of Varinder Singh, a resident of Khuda Jassu, Chandigarh, in a Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-G) funds misappropriation case.

The court of additional sessions judge ruled that Singh's custodial interrogation is essential to uncover the full magnitude of the scam, which investigators now estimate at over Rs.9.72 crore.

The case registered on November 23 at the Sector-7 police station, stems from a complaint by accounts officer of the Zila Parishad, Panchkula. Investigations revealed a sophisticated racket involving the forgery of the chief executive officer's (CEO) signatures on RTGS documents to divert public funds into private accounts. Several accuse...