Panchkula, March 17 -- The state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau (ACB) investigating the alleged Rs.590-crore IDFC First Bank fraud case has sought the facial biometric of accused Abhishek Singla, currently lodged in Ambala Central Jail. According to the ACB, Singla had allegedly enabled advanced security features, including "stolen device protection", on his Apple iPhone 15, preventing investigators from extracting crucial data. The agency has filed an application in a local court, stating that facial biometric verification of the accused is essential to disable the security feature and perform further scientific examination of the recovered mobile phone. The chief judicial magistrate's court on Monday directed the superintendent of Ambala Central Jail to produce Abhishek Singla, a resident of Sector 63, Chandigarh, in court on Tuesday. Singla, a business partner in the Swastik Desh Project, is alleged to have funneled Haryana government funds through the project to various entities. One iPhone 15 recovered from Singla, along with its SIM card, was sent to the Cyber Forensic Laboratory, Panchkula, on February 27. On March 11, the lab reported that the advanced security features prevented data extraction, making facial biometric verification necessary for further investigation. The ACB emphasised that examining the device is crucial, as evidence suggests Singla used it extensively to communicate with co-accused, share forged documents, and conduct day-to-day activities related to the alleged offence. The case, registered on February 23, has been filed under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy, as well as sections of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act dealing with criminal misconduct by a public servant. Section 7 of the PC Act, pertaining to taking gratification other than legal remuneration, has also been added to the case. The investigation indicates that the case involves large-scale, multi-layered banking fraud and fictitious transactions to divert government funds into shell entities owned directly or indirectly by the accused, causing substantial loss to the public exchequer. Following the probe, the ACB identified the involvement of Ribhav Rishi, Abhay Kumar (ex-IDFC Bank employee), Swati Singla, and Abhishek Singla, who were initially arrested on February 24. So far, the ACB has arrested 14 accused in connection with the case, including three government officers. The investigation is ongoing....