PNB fraud: Finance Ministry initiates action against Allahabad Bank CEO
New Delhi, May 14: The Finance Ministry on Monday started the process of removing Allahabad Bank CEO and MD Usha Ananthasubramanian from her post after the CBI filed a chargesheet detailing her alleged role in the over Rs 13,000-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam.
Ananthasubramanian, who was the MD and CEO of PNB from August 2015 to May 2017, was quizzed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in February in connection with the case. On Monday, CBI filed the chargesheet in the case mentioning her role.
A Finance Ministry official told IANS that the Department of Financial Services (DFS) had asked the government representative in the Allahabad Bank to come up with a proposal before the board to strip Ananthasubramanian of her powers.
He said that the board would take the final call on the proposal.
The official added that similar action was also intiated against two Executive Directors of the PNB.
"DFS has started action for removing and dismissing the accused officials. The departmental inquiry will continue against them separately," he said.
Earlier, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Ananthasubramanian and 21 others, including 11 bank officials, over the PNB fraud case allegedly perpetrated by diamantire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi.
The agency has also named PNB Executive Directors K.V. Brahmaji Rao and Sanjiv Sharan, and General Manager (International Operations) Nehal Ahad in its chargesheet filed before a special CBI court here.
So far, 19 people have been arrested in the case while Modi and Choksi are on the run.
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Breathing techniques help Yoga teacher to save her life as she fakes death during attack
Chikkaballapura (PTI): A 34-year-old Yoga teacher faked her death using breathing techniques and saved herself after allegedly being assaulted, strangled and then buried by a group of people who assumed she was dead, police said on Friday.
Five people, including a woman identified as Bindu and her friend named Satish Reddy who runs a detective agency in Bengaluru, have been arrested in connection with the incident, they said.
"Bindu suspected her husband of having an affair with the Yoga teacher and asked Reddy to keep a tab on the woman and her proximity to him. As part of the plan, Reddy allegedly befriended the victim some three months ago on the pretext of taking Yoga classes from her and during this period, he managed to gain her confidence," a police official said.
In her complaint, the victim alleged that on the pretext of showing some places around the city on October 23, he came to her house near Dibburahalli and took her in a car in which three other men were also present.
She alleged that they took her to a secluded spot on the outskirts of the city and allegedly stripped and assaulted her.
According to her, she was thrashed, threatened and strangled using a cable. She claimed that she played along, pretended to be unconscious and faked her death using breathing techniques.
"Assuming the woman died, the accused allegedly dug a pit and covered her body with thin layers of soil because they were in a hurry and feared to be caught. But before leaving, they took away all her gold jewellery," a senior police officer said.
She claimed that she later managed to wriggle out of the pit and with the help of some villagers, got clothes and managed to reach the police station to file a complaint, he said.
The woman was sent for a medical examination as per procedure and admitted to a hospital.
"Based on the complaint, we registered a case under sections of kidnapping, attempt to murder and other appropriate sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Based on the investigation, we arrested five people, including Reddy and Bindu, on November 6," the officer said.
The vehicle in which the victim was kidnapped was allegedly stolen from Bengaluru, police said, adding, the victim's jewellery has also been recovered with the arrests.
"We are trying to verify all the claims made by the victim. There were also some online money transactions between Bindu and the associates and we are investigating the money trail also," he added.
