In a stunning blow to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Rahul Vijay, a Senior Manager, on September 2, 2025, for allegedly siphoning off a staggering ₹232 crore in public funds. Described as one of the year’s biggest financial scams, the case has exposed glaring lapses in oversight at Dehradun Airport, where Vijay orchestrated a sophisticated fraud between 2019 and 2023.

The CBI’s probe, sparked by an AAI complaint, revealed Vijay’s audacious scheme: manipulating electronic records by creating fictitious assets, duplicating bills, and inflating contract figures, often by casually adding extra zeros. In one brazen instance, he allegedly swindled ₹189 crore in a single transaction by padding a contract entry. The pilfered funds were funneled into Vijay’s personal bank accounts and subsequently diverted to trading accounts, leaving a complex money trail that investigators are now unraveling.

On August 28, CBI teams swooped in, raiding Vijay’s residence and office in Jaipur. The searches yielded a trove of incriminating evidence, including property papers, securities, and documents linking him to the fraud. Vijay is now in custody, but the CBI emphasizes that the investigation is ongoing, with efforts focused on tracing the full extent of the diverted funds.

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The scandal has rocked the AAI, raising urgent questions about how such a massive fraud went undetected for years despite routine audits. As the CBI digs deeper, the case underscores the need for stronger financial safeguards to protect public funds in critical institutions like the AAI.

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