Overview
- Citing media reporting on a 254-page Income Tax (Investigation) document, Congress alleged a network siphoned nearly ₹112 crore from Uttar Pradesh schemes between 2019–20 and 2021–22 with former Prasar Bharati chief Navneet Kumar Sehgal identified as the largest beneficiary.
- The alleged diversions included about ₹65 crore from the Institute of Entrepreneurship Development and roughly ₹46 crore from UPICON through inflated contracts, fake bills and shell firms, with some funds purportedly routed to companies linked to Sehgal’s family.
- Investigators reportedly estimated Sehgal personally received ₹24–26 crore in kickbacks and directed cash deliveries via intermediaries, according to accounts cited by the media and referenced by Congress.
- Sehgal has denied wrongdoing, saying the tax department examined his responses and closed the matter, while Congress notes no publicly known prosecutions and the Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta says it did not receive the dossier said to have been sent in December 2022.
- Sehgal resigned as Prasar Bharati chairman on December 2 with a year left in his term, and Congress is demanding clarity from the Prime Minister on appointments after unconfirmed talk that he could replace PMO official Hiren Joshi.