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CBI grills PNB ex-MD, ICICI Bank ED in Rs 12,600cr fraud case (Second Lead)

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New Delhi/Mumbai, Feb 27 (IANS) The CBI on Tuesday said it has questioned former Punjab National Bank (PNB) Managing Director Usha Ananthasubramanian and ICICI Bank Executive Director N.S. Kanan in connection with the over Rs 12,600-crore bank fraud case.

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official said Ananthasubramanian was quizzed at the agency’s Mumbai office.

Ananthasubramanian is currently the CEO and MD of Allahabad Bank and also the chief of the Indian Banks’ Association.

“The agency also questioned the ICICI Bank Executive Director because it was the leader of a consortium of banks that sent money to Mehul Choksi’s Gitanjali Group,” the official said.

According to CBI officials, a loan totalling Rs 5,000 crore was given to the Gitanjali Group in 2016 by a consortium of 34 banks.

The official said the ICICI Bank had an exposure of about Rs 773 crore and the PNB over Rs 500 crore.

But, the ICICI Bank in a statement said that it has not issued any Letter of Undertaking (LOU) nor does it have any buyer’s credit exposure against LOUs with respect to the Nirav Modi group of companies as well as the Gitanjali group of companies.

“We are working capital lenders to the Gitanjali group of companies along with several other banks in the consortium. And our exposure to the Gitanjali group of companies is not the largest among lenders in the consortium,” the bank said.

“We are fully co-operating with the investigating agencies in their efforts,” the ICICI Bank added.

The agency official also said that the CBI received a complaint from the PNB alleging a loss of Rs 1,251 crore — all linked to the Gitanjali Group.

Besides, two PNB General Managers Nehal Ahad and Vimlesh Kumar were also questioned, apart from two statutory auditors of the PNB, in the case.

On Monday, the CBI questioned three statutory auditors and two General Managers of PNB.

Earlier in the day, the Income Tax department also said that it has filed prosecution cases against Nirav Modi under various sections of the IT Act, 1961.

According to the IT officials, the tax agency prayed for a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) against Nirav Modi for his failure to comply with the summons issued by it in a Mumbai court.

“The court has decided to issue summons to Nirav,” an IT official said.

The CBI had filed the first FIR in the scam on February 14 against Nirav Modi, his wife Ami, brother Nishal, uncle Mehul Choksi and his firms Diamond R US, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamond.

Nirav Modi, his family and Choksi left the country in early January. The FIR mentions fraud of around Rs 6,400 crore.

The CBI filed a second FIR on February 15 for Rs 4,886.72 crore fraud against the Gitanjali Group headed by Choksi.

The official said the CBI had written to the Chief Vigilance Officers of five banks to share details of money credited to Nostro accounts of PNB on receiving Letters of Undertaking and Foreign Letters of Credit, which were then withdrawn by Nirav and Choksi’s group as buyers’ credit.

The agency has till date arrested 12 persons in the case.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.

The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.

Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.

For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.

During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.

Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.

Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .

Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.

In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.

He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.

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