CBI continues questioning Chanda Kochhar's brother-in-law
Mumbai, April 6:The CBI on Friday questioned ICICI Bank CEO and MD Chanda Kochhar's brother-in-law Rajiv Kochhar for a second consecutive day in connection with a case of Rs 3,250 crore loan to the Videocon Group in 2012.
Rajiv Kochhar is being questioned at the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) Bandra-based office since morning.
Informed sources said the CBI was probing Rajiv Kochhar's link over allegations pertaining to his Singapore-based company Avista Advisory's dealings with the ICICI Bank.
The bank, however, has denied its engagement with Avista for any services ever.
The CBI on Thursday questioned Rajiv Kochhar for over five hours in connection with the case.
He was on Thursday stopped at Mumbai airport by immigration authorities around 11 a.m. while he was about to leave for Singapore.
Later, he was handed over to a CBI team which brought him to its Bandra office for questioning him in connection with its preliminary enquiry against his brother Deepak Kochhar and Videocon Chairman Venugopal Dhoot.
The agency had registered a preliminary enquiry against Chanda Kochhar's husband Deepak Kochhar, Videocon Group officials and others for its probe to determine any wrongdoing or otherwise in the sanction of the loan to the Videocon Group by the ICICI Bank as part of a consortium of banks in 2012.
Chanda Kochhar, who is facing questions of conflict of interest on the issue, has not been named in the preliminary enquiry, which was registered after news reports raised questions about Videocon Chairman giving loan of Rs 64 crore to a firm he had jointly promoted with Deepak Kochhar, six months after his group got the Rs 3,250 crore loan.
The said money was part of a loan of Rs 40,000 crore which Videocon received from a consortium of 20 banks led by the State Bank of India.
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Adequate LPG stock in Chhattisgarh, no need to panic, says CM Sai
Raipur (PTI): Amid reports of shortage of commercial LPG cylinder in several parts of the country due to the US-Israel-Iran conflict, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday assured people that they need not worry about the availability of cooking gas in the state.
He asserted that adequate stock of LPG as well as petrol and diesel was available in the state.
Sai said in a statement that authorities have been directed to regularly monitor stock at gas agencies and keep a close watch on the supply chain. Necessary instructions were issued to officials in all districts to ensure a smooth supply of LPG.
The chief minister instructed officials to take strict action if any complaint of black marketing or hoarding of LPG cylinders is received.
Sai urged state residents not to pay attention to rumours and to book cooking gas cylinders as per their actual requirement.
The government was fully alert to ensure the availability of essential commodities to citizens, he emphasised.
Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Hotel and Restaurant Association has issued an advisory to hotels, restaurants, caterers and other food businesses across the state, urging them to maintain calm and avoid panic buying.
In the advisory, Taranjeet Singh Hora, president of the association, asked members to maintain coordination and immediately inform it about any major disruption in LPG supply.
He cautioned businesses against hoarding cylinders, saying such practices could worsen the situation for the entire hospitality sector.
The association advised hotels and restaurants to prioritise essential kitchen operations, core menu items and already committed banquet events.
Use electric cooking equipment wherever possible for emergency and staff kitchens such as induction cooktops, electric hot plates, electric rice cookers and kettles, the advisory stated.
