CBI grills Dhoot, Kochhars together in loan fraud case

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday confronted Videocon Group MD V.N. Dhoot with former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar and her husband and businessman Deepak Kochhar in its probe in the loan fraud conspiracy.

The trio are currently in the CBI’s custody for three days, and were questioned together to unravel the conspiracy.

CBI sources said that the trio were asked same set of questions, and were evasive in their answers and were not cooperating.

On August 26, 2009, then ICICI Bank Sanctioning Committee, headed by Chanda Kochhar, sanctioned a rupee term loan of Rs 300 crore to Videocon International Electronics Ltd (VIEL) in contravention of rules and policies of the bank in a criminal conspiracy with the co-accused persons dishonestly by abusing her official position as public servant.

The loan was disbursed on September 7, 2009 and on very next date September 8, 2009, Dhoot transferred Rs 64 crore to the NRL, managed by Deepak Kochhar, from Videocon Industries Ltd through his company Supreme Energy Pvt Ltd (SEPL).

The CBI has learnt that Chnada Kochhar was residing in a flat without consideration during the period she dealt with loan proposal of Videocon Group even as the flat was under litigation for possession between Videocon Industries Ltd and Deepak Kochhar. Subsequently, the flat (valued at Rs 5.25 crore in 1996) was transferred to Quality Advisor, a family trust of Deepak Kochhar at meagre amount of Rs 11 lakh in 2016.

–IANS

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