Reliance ADA Group Chairman Anil Ambani on Monday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in Mumbai in an investigation related to a Foreign Exchange Management Act case. According to sources, his presence was in relation to an investigation concerning the alleged violation of foreign exchange laws. Anil, the younger brother of Reliance Industries CMD Mukesh Ambani, visited the central agency's office in the Ballard Estate area to record his statement in the case, reported news agency PTI.
The specific details of the case for which he was summoned are currently undisclosed. Previously, in 2020, Anil Ambani had appeared before the ED regarding a money laundering case involving Yes Bank promoter Rana Kapoor and other individuals.
Anil Ambani, the former chairman of Reliance Communications, faced significant financial challenges that eventually led him to file for bankruptcy in 2019. The bankruptcy claims of Anil Ambani stemmed from the rising debt burden of the Reliance ADA group, amounting to over Rs 1,20,000 crore in 2019.
The troubles for Reliance Communications began with the aggressive expansion and high debt levels incurred during the telecom boom in India. The company invested heavily in acquiring spectrum licences and expanding its infrastructure, but intense competition and regulatory changes in the telecom sector, combined with the 4G boom, made it difficult for Reliance Communications to generate sufficient revenue to meet its obligations.
Despite attempts to restructure the debt and raise funds through asset sales, Reliance Communications struggled to repay its loans. In February 2019, the company filed for bankruptcy.
During the bankruptcy proceedings, Anil Ambani faced personal liability claims from various lenders seeking to recover their dues. However, Ambani consistently maintained that he had no personal liability and that any obligations were related to the company's debt.
In February 2020, the Supreme Court of India ordered Anil Ambani to pay Rs 453 crore of its Rs 550 crore debt to Ericsson, a Swedish multinational telecommunications company. The court also found him guilty of contempt for not complying with its previous order to clear the dues owed by Reliance Communications to Ericsson and fined him and two directors of the company Rs 1 crore each.