The Enforcement Directorate, on Saturday, summoned former CEO and MD of ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar and Videocon Group promoter Venugopal Dhoot for questioning in connection with the alleged conflict of interest in the loan extended to the Videocon Group.
They were called in for questioning weeks after the ED registered a criminal case against the two for alleged money laundering. The case was registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
CBI had also issued lookout circulars (LOCs) against Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar and Videocon Group’s Managing Director Dhoot.
Chanda Kochhar and her husband appeared before the investigators around 11a.m., while Dhoot reached there at around 2 p.m. While Chanda Kochhar left the ED’s office just after half an hour, her husband and Dhoot were kept in for questioning for several hours.
ED had earlier searched the premises of Chanda Kochhar and Venugopal Dhoot in Mumbai and Aurangabad respectively in a money laundering case. The ED had filed a criminal case last month against Kochhar, her husband and Venugopal Dhoot and others involved in alleged irregularities and corrupt practices in sanctioning of an Rs 3,250-crore loan by the bank to the Videocon Group.
During the investigation by the ED department their statements were recorded and the documents which were seized by them during the search of the premises were shown to them.
The agency is trying to find out if any bribes were offered in the loan deal and money laundered to create tainted assets.
Courtesy/By: Sonali Tiwari
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04 Mar 2019
