Desk Correspondent , New Delhi - The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the Sofia Educational and Welfare Society and its president, Suhail Khan, for alleged large-scale irregularities in managing Delhi’s night shelters. The agency has also named two private individuals and unknown public servants of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) for their role in a "well-planned conspiracy" to siphon off government funds during the AAP-led administration in 2023.

A year-long preliminary inquiry revealed that the Shelter Management Authority (SMA) engaged "bogus employees" who never actually worked at the sites. Investigators found that names were inserted into attendance records at the office level to generate fraudulent salaries. While funds and ESIC benefits were credited to these accounts, the money was immediately withdrawn in cash and returned to the society’s management. Mobile location data confirmed that these individuals were at their actual workplaces or residences during their supposed shifts.

The federal agency highlighted the active connivance of DUSIB officials, who failed to report the absences despite being mandated to conduct regular inspections. The scam, which affected shelters under Clusters 1 and 2, involved the falsification of records for supervisors, caretakers, and security staff. The CBI officially filed the case on April 27, following evidence that identities were systematically stolen or manufactured to divert public money meant for the city's most vulnerable populations.