By India Blooms News Service Dec 29, 2022
Mumbai/IBNS: A special CBI court on Wednesday extended the custody of Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar and Videocon group founder Venugopal Dhoot in ICICI Bank loan fraud case, media reports said.
The Central probe agency arrested Kochhars on Friday, December 23, while Dhoot was arrested on the following Monday.
A Limosin, representing the CBI, sought the extension of their custody for another two days for further interrogation of the accused.
All three were produced before the special judge S M Menjoge before the end of their earlier remand on Wednesday.
After hearing both sides, the special judge extended the remand of Chanda Kochhar, Deepak Kochhar and Venugopal Dhoot till December 29.
Chanda Kochhar, 59, had quit as CEO and managing director of ICICI Bank in October 2018 over allegations that she favoured Videocon Group, a consumer electronics and oil and gas exploration company.
The CBI alleged that she violated the banks code of conduct and internal policies.
She has been accused of criminal conspiracy and cheating by the probe agency for alleged irregularities in a loan of Rs. 3,250 crores in 2012 to the Videocon Group, which became a non-performing asset for the ICICI Bank.
The loan was granted in violation of the Banking Regulation Act, RBI guidelines, and credit policy of the bank, CBI has alleged.
A whistleblower alleged that Kochhars husband Deepak Kochhar and her family members benefited from the dealings.
Last year, the ED had filed a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Chanda Kochhar, her husband and Venugopal Dhoot of Videocon Group to investigate alleged irregularities and corrupt practices in sanctioning Rs 1,875 crore in loans by ICICI Bank.
The probe agency had also attached assets worth Rs 78 crore in connection with a money laundering case.
As per reports, since Chanda Kochhar and Deepak Kochhar was not cooperating with the agency, therefore he was placed under arrest.
Reports said Dhoot had provided Rs 64 crore to a firm called NuPower Renewables Pvt Ltd that he had set up with Deepak and two relatives six months after the Videocon group got Rs 3,250 crore as loan from ICICI Bank in 2012. Rs 2,810 crore of the loan remains unpaid.