ICICI Bank-Videocon loan case: CBI registers FIR against Chanda Kochhar, husband Deepak Kochhar

It is alleged that Videocon promoter Venugopal Dhoot allegedly invested crores of Rupees in Nupower months after the Videocon group got Rs 3,250 crore as loan from the ICICI Bank in 2012.

The agency had registered a preliminary enquiry against Videocon promoter Venugopal Dhoot, Deepak Kochhar and unidentified others in March last year,/ AFP IMAGE

New Delhi: The CBI on Thursday registered an FIR in connection with alleged irregularities in the Rs 3,250 crore ICICI Bank-Videocon loan cases. The FIR was filed against Chanda Kochhar, the then MD & CEO of ICICI Bank, Deepak Kochhar, MD of M/s. Nupower Renewables Ltd. (NRL), V N Dhoot, MD of Videocon group,  M/s. Nupower Renewables Ltd. (NRL), M/s. Supreme Energy Pvt. Ltd. (SEPL), M/s. Videocon International Electronics Ltd. (VIEL), M/s. Videocon Industries Ltd. (VIL), and others. The CBI also conducted searches at the group headquarters in Mumbai and offices in Aurangabad. The search operation started Thursday morning and also covered offices of Nupower, a company operated by ICICI Bank's former CEO Chanda Kochhar's husband Deepak Kochhar and Supreme Energy, they said. It is alleged that Videocon promoter Venugopal Dhoot allegedly invested crores of Rupees in Nupower months after the Videocon group got Rs 3,250 crore as loan from the ICICI Bank in 2012. The agency had registered a preliminary enquiry against Videocon promoter Venugopal Dhoot, Deepak Kochhar and unidentified others in March last year. A PE is a precursor before the agency lodges an FIR to probe criminal charges on the basis of evidence collected during the former exercise. The agency has now converted it into an FIR which means a full-blown investigation has been started by the agency after registration of a case. (agency inputs)