The ED has filed a case on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). While the CBI investigating the criminal angle in the case, the ED is looking after the money laundering angle
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is not satisfied with the answers given by ICICI ex-chairperson Chanda Kochhar and her businessman husband Deepak Kochhar in the ICICI-Videocon case.
According to sources, the duo is not revealing details and the senior officers will continue to question them in Delhi. The ED has taken this decision after questioning the duo and the Videocon chief Venugopal Dhoot for 4 days.
It is also expected that ED’s top officers will grill Kochhar and her husband. The ED has filed a case on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). While the CBI investigating the criminal angle in the case, the ED is looking after the money laundering angle.
During the last round of questioning, the ED grilled Kochhar for 11 hours. Prior to this, the ED had grilled her and her husband for seven hours, until 4 am in the morning.
Sources said that Kochhar had claimed that she was not aware of the financial dealing of her husband’s company. However, when the ED cross-questioned her, she didn’t give proper answers.
Meanwhile, Deepak Kochhar had told the ED officials that his wife was not aware of his company’s business deals with Videocon.
The ED had already raided the Kochhars’ residents. It also raided Dhoot’s properties.
The initial investigation by the CBI and the ED revealed that from June 2009 to October 2011, the ICICI Bank had allegedly sanctioned six high-value loans to various Videocon Group companies.
Also read: Chanda, Deepak Kochhar must explain to ED how ICICI loan to Videocon did not help them personally
Kochhar had taken over the post of managing director of the ICICI Bank on May 1, 2009. The companies: M/S Nupower Renewables Limited (NRL) and M/S Supreme Energy Private Limited (SEPL) have also been named in the case. It is also alleged that Dhoot invested a large number of funds in the Deepak Kochhar-owned Nupower within months after Videocon Group received Rs 3,250 crore as loan from ICICI Bank in 2012
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