New Delhi, Jan 24: The CBI has booked former ICICI Bank CEO and MD Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar and Videocon group MD Venugopal Dhoot in connection with alleged cheating and irregularities in loans sanctioned by the bank to the group in 2012, officials said Thursday.

The agency Thursday carried out searches at multiple locations, including the offices of Videocon group in Mumbai and Aurangabad, offices of Nupower Renewables Pvt Limited which is operated by Deepak Kochhar, and Supreme Energy after registering a case.

"It was alleged that the accused sanctioned certain loans to private companies in a criminal conspiracy with others to cheat ICICI bank," the CBI spokesperson said.

In addition to Chanda, her husband Deepak and Dhoot, the agency has also named companies Nupower Renewables, Supreme Energy, Videocon International Electronics Ltd and Videocon Industries limited as accused in the FIR registered under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and provisions of prevention of corruption act, 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, they said.

The move comes 10 months after the CBI registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) against Videocon promoter Venugopal Dhoot, Deepak Kochhar and unidentified others in March last year, they said.

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.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Ranchi (PTI): Four members of a family were killed and a woman was severely injured in a head-on collision between an autorickshaw and a truck in Ranchi, police said on Thursday.

The accident occurred at Chamghati on the Ranchi–Purulia Road, under the jurisdiction of Angara police station, on Wednesday night.

"Four members of a family, including two women, were killed in the incident. One woman sustained serious injuries and has been admitted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi for treatment," Angara police station in-charge Hiralal Sah told PTI.

According to police, the autorickshaw was en route to Ranchi when it collided head-on with a truck travelling towards Muri.

Preliminary investigations revealed the truck driver lost control of the vehicle, leading to the fatal collision. The impact caused the truck to overturn, however, the driver fled the scene, police said.

Police said the victims were identified as Seikh Gayasuddin, who was driving the auto-rickshaw, his mother Ayesha Khatun, his wife Joraddin, and his son Seikh Aman.

The family resided in Kantatoli area of Ranchi. The bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem. The police said further investigation is underway.