ICICI bank-Videocon case: ED calls Chanda Kochhar, Venugopal Dhoot for questioning

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai has on Saturday called former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar and Videocon promoter Venugopal Dhoot for questioning in connection with a bank loan fraud case. The Directorate had on Friday carried out raids in at least five office and residential premises in Mumbai and a few other locations linked to Kochhar and Dhoot.

Earlier in February, the agency had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar, Dhoot and others to probe alleged irregularities and corrupt practices in sanctioning of Rs 1,875-crore loans by the ICICI bank to the corporate group.

The ED's PMLA case was filed after taking cognisance of a CBI complaint lodged in the matter.

The CBI had named Chanda Kochhar, Deepak Kochhar, and Dhoot and his companies - Videocon International Electronics Ltd (VIEL) and Videocon Industries Limited (VIL).

In the FIR, the investigating agency also named Supreme Energy, a company founded by Dhoot, and Nupower Renewables, a company controlled by Deepak Kochhar.

It is alleged that Dhoot had invested in Deepak Kochhar's company Nupower through his firm Supreme Energy a quid pro quo to loans cleared by ICICI Bank after Chanda Kochhar took over as the CEO of the bank on May 1, 2009.

(With inputs from PTI)