ED questions Anil Ambani for 10 hrs in bank loan 'fraud' case; may be called again
New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday questioned Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani for around 10 hours in a money laundering case linked to alleged multiple bank loan fraud cases worth crores of rupees against his group companies.
The businessman reached the office of the central probe agency in central Delhi in an EV vehicle around 10:50 am and made an exit shortly before 9 pm.
The statement of the 66-year-old businessman has been recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), official sources said. He was asked about a dozen questions, they said.
It is understood that Ambani denied any wrongdoing and said his companies have made timely disclosures about their financial health to regulators.
The ED investigators are, however, not convinced and he is expected to be summoned again.
The summons come after the agency conducted searches at 35 premises of 50 companies and 25 people, including executives of his business group, in Mumbai on July 24.
The ED has notified a Look Out Circular (LOC), as per standard operating procedure in large bank 'fraud' cases, against Ambani even as some executives of his group have also been summoned to appear for questioning during the week as part of this probe.
In a related case, the ED had recently arrested Partha Sarathi Biswal, the MD of a Odisha-based company, for allegedly providing a fake bank guarantee of Rs 68 crore for a Anil Ambani Group company.
The action against Ambani pertains to alleged financial irregularities and collective loan "diversion" pegged at more than Rs 17,000 crore by multiple group companies of Anil Ambani, including Reliance Infrastructure (R Infra).
The first allegation pertains to "illegal" loan diversion of around Rs 3,000 crore, given by the Yes Bank to the group companies of Ambani between 2017 and 2019.
The ED suspects, the sources said, that just before the loan was granted, Yes Bank promoters "received" money in their companies.
The agency is investigating this nexus of "bribe" and the loan.
The sources said the ED is also probing allegations of "gross violations" in Yes Bank loan approvals to these companies, including charges such as back-dated credit approval memorandums and investments proposed without any due diligence/credit analysis in violation of the bank's credit policy.
The loans are alleged to have been "diverted" to many group companies and "shell" (bogus) companies by the entities involved.
The agency is also looking at some instances of loans given to entities with weak financials, a lack of proper documentation of loans and due diligence, borrowers having common addresses and common directors in their companies, etc., according to the sources.
The money laundering case stems from at least two CBI FIRs and reports shared by National Housing Bank, SEBI, National Financial Reporting Authority and Bank of Baroda with the ED, they had said.
These reports, the sources said, indicate there was a "well-planned and thought after scheme" to divert or siphon off public money by cheating banks, shareholders, investors and other public institutions.
The other allegation being probed by the ED, on the basis of a SEBI report, is that R Infra "diverted" funds disguised as inter-corporate deposits (ICDs) to Reliance Group companies through a company named CLE.
It is alleged that R Infra did not disclose CLE as its "related party" to avoid approvals from shareholders and audit panels.
A Reliance Group spokesperson had denied any wrongdoing and said in a statement that the allegation regarding alleged diversion of Rs 10,000 crore to an undisclosed party was a 10-year-old matter and the company had stated in its financial statements that its exposure was only around Rs 6,500 crore.
Reliance Infrastructure had publicly disclosed this matter on February 9, 2025, nearly six months ago, the statement said.
"Through mandatory mediation proceedings conducted by a retired Supreme Court judge and the mediation award filed before the Honourable Bombay High Court, Reliance Infrastructure arrived at a settlement to recover its 100 per cent exposure of Rs 6,500 crore," it said.
The company added that Ambani was not on the board of R Infra for more than three years (March 2022).
The Union government had informed Parliament recently that the State Bank of India has classified RCOM along with Ambani as "fraud" and was also in the process of lodging a complaint with the CBI.
A bank loan "fraud" of more than Rs 1,050 crore between RCOM and Canara Bank is also under the ED scanner, apart from some "undisclosed" foreign bank accounts and assets, the sources said.
Reliance Mutual Fund is also stated to have invested Rs 2,850 crore in AT-1 bonds, and a "quid pro quo" is suspected here by the agency.
Additional Tier 1 (AT-1) are perpetual bonds issued by banks to increase their capital base, and they are riskier than traditional bonds, having higher interest rates.
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Kumaraswamy accuses Cong govt of 'neglecting' farmers in Karnataka
Mysuru (PTI): Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday accused the Congress government in Karnataka of "neglecting" the farmers in the state and being involved in corruption.
The JD(S) leader took part in an event where President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the 1066th Jayanthi celebrations of Adi Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara Shivayogi Mahaswamiji at Malavalli in Mandya district, which comes under his Lok Sabha constituency.
"I saw a report that 2,800 farmers have died by suicide after this government came to power (in state). The government seems to be not concerned about the farmers. This government on coming to power said that it will give Rs 24,000 crore as loan to 32 lakh farmers for their farming activities, but till November, about Rs 12,000 crore has been paid to 24 lakh farmers, limiting to what was there earlier by managing the books of account," Kumaraswamy said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "These things show the failures of this government. Also, there is a corrupt system. I will not speak about it now. After December 20, I will speak to you in detail. There are a lot of issues to share with you."
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Responding to a question, the JD(S) leader, who turned 66 today, said there is no use of giving any documents. "I'm waiting for the right time."
Regarding the Congress government introducing a bill against "hate speech" in the Assembly, Kumaswamy said it is aimed at silencing the opposition in the state, but they won't be successful.
"What do Congress leaders have to say about their workers' comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi?. He cited slogans -- 'Modi teri kabr khudegi, aaj nahi to kal khudegi' (Modi's grave will be dug.. if not today, then tomorrow) -- allegedly raised against Modi at a Congress rally in Delhi on Sunday.
