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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Sonam Wangchuk justifies Ladakh agitation, says will join talks with Centre if needed
Kargil (PTI): Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Sunday defended the agitation for statehood and safeguards under the Sixth Schedule for Ladakh, and said he would not back out from joining talks with the government if the need for it arises.
Addressing a press conference, Wangchuk, who was released on March 14 after nearly six months of detention under the National Security Act, called for "open-minded and sincere" negotiations and striking a middle path.
He also expressed hope that the ongoing protests would lead to a positive and amicable solution.
"The demand for safeguards under the Sixth Schedule and statehood is based on democratic rights entailed in the Constitution and is completely legitimate. I have always maintained that for the last 5-6 years, we have been engaged in discussions with the government on these issues, yet no solution has emerged. This is because the other side seems to have adopted a rigid stance," Wangchuk told reporters here.
He stressed that the negotiations should be held with an open mind, in all sincerity.
"Neither side should insist 'we alone will win and you will lose'. What is needed is a middle path, a win-win approach. This is what I personally believe and have conveyed to many people, including the (agitating) leaders: the negotiations should move forward gradually," he said.
Wangchuk said they were ready to adopt such an approach, but it should not be one-sided.
He said the protesters have conveyed this thinking to fair-minded people across the country, and cautioned that if the upcoming talks once again result in their concerns being overlooked and only the other side's position prevails, it would prompt questions on why a more accommodative approach -- like that adopted by Ladakh's leaders -- is not being followed.
The government has not yet announced the date for the next round of talks.
The Ladakh-based activist expressed hope that the ongoing protests would lead to a positive and amicable resolution, enabling them to move forward and partake in the country's progress and nation-building.
Asked about charges under the National Security Act (NSA) that were levelled against him, he said, "If a person like me, who has always worked for the country -- whether in education, environment, or improving facilities for the armed forces -- can face such allegations, then what might not be said about others, not just in Ladakh but elsewhere as well?"
The activist said he was disturbed by a video related to his arrest that he came across recently, questioning how such claims could be made, especially as the contents "appeared" to be backed by evidence.
"If the allegations are true, I did not deserve to be free. But if they are false, they must be clearly refuted," Wangchuk said, cautioning against making sweeping accusations about Ladakh, which has been a pillar of India's defence, especially Kargil, whose people have supported the armed forces in every war and made significant sacrifices in the 1999 Kargil War.
Making such allegations will only create distance among people, he said, adding, "If mistakes are being made, they should be corrected."
Referring to the Centre's order revoking NSA charges against him, he said it is clearly stated that this step is being taken to create a conducive environment, to build trust, and to enable meaningful dialogue.
"So, we are waiting for things to move in that direction," he said.
On the protesters' next course of action, he said the leadership will look into the issue, but it is hoped that the time ahead will not be for anything else but celebration.
"If there is any absolute need, we will discuss and decide what steps should be taken," he said.
On the possibility of him joining the team holding dialogue with the home ministry, Wangchuk said, "Whatever I do, I do it out of necessity. Where I am not needed, and others could do it, I always prefer that they should take the lead. But if there is a need, I will not back down."
VIDEO | Ladakh: Activist Sonam Wangchuk says, "... We need open-minded dialogue with Centre to find a win-win or middle path solution..."
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 5, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/dv5TRAShcC) pic.twitter.com/BwWQGx66I1
