ICICI Bank-Videocon case: ED widens probe\, summons Chanda Kochhar next week

ICICI Bank-Videocon case: ED widens probe, summons Chanda Kochhar next week

Chanda Kochhar's brother-in-law, Rajiv Kochhar, has also been grilled by the ED multiple times in the case

Press Trust of India  |  New Delhi 

Chanda Kochhar
Chanda Kochhar

Former has been asked to depose before the ED next week as the agency has decided to expand its probe into the case involving the and by questioning some more officials of the private lender, officials said Saturday.

The (ED) had last month questioned and recorded the statements of and her husband over multiple sessions.

sources had told early this week that the is now mulling to call some more officials to confront them with the statement made by Chanda Kochhar and obtain a clear picture of the deal.

The agency is also preparing to analyse the details of assets of the Kochhars and others so that they can be provisionally attached under the Prevention of Act (PMLA).

Chanda Kochhar's and Deepak's brother, Rajiv Kochhar, has also been grilled by the ED multiple times in the case.

is the founder of Singapore-based and was also questioned by the CBI about his company's role in the restructuring of the loan.

He was asked by CBI sleuths about the help he had extended to Videocon in relation to the loan from ICICI Bank, which was part of a Rs400-billion credit given by a consortium of 20 to the group of

The Kochhar couple have been questioned in the past too at the ED zonal office in after the central agency conducted raids on March 1.

The searches were conducted at the premises of Chanda Kochhar, her family and of in Maharashtra's and

The ED has registered a criminal case under the PMLA earlier this year against Chanda Kochhar, Deepak Kochhar, Dhoot and others to probe alleged irregularities and corrupt practices in sanctioning?1,875-crore loans by the to the group.

This action of the agency was based on an FIR registered by the CBI.

The CBI has named all the three and Dhoot's -- (VIEL) and (VIL) -- in its case.

The anti-corruption probe agency also named Supreme Energy, a company founded by Dhoot, and NuPower Renewables, a company controlled by Deepak Kochhar, in the FIR

The CBI alleged that Dhoot had invested in Nupower through his firm in a quid pro quo to loans cleared by after Chanda Kochhar took over as the of the bank on May 1, 2009.

The ownership of Nupower and changed hands through a complex web of shared transactions between and Dhoot, the CBI alleged.

During its preliminary enquiry, the CBI found that six loans worth Rs 1,875 crore were sanctioned to the and associated with it between June, 2009-October, 2011 in alleged violation of laid-down policies of the ICICI Bank, which have now become part of the probe.

The loans were declared non-performing assets in 2012, causing a loss of?1,730 crore to the bank, it alleged.

The ED, the sources said, is also probing at least two other instances of loans given by the ICICI Bank (during Chanda Kochhar's tenure) to Gujarat-based firm and to Bhushan Steel group, both of which are under its probe for alleged charges.

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First Published: Sat, June 08 2019. 15:40 IST