Loan fraud case: Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar released from jail
Mumbai (PTI): Former ICICI Bank CEO and MD Chanda Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar were released from jail on Tuesday morning, a day after the Bombay High Court granted them interim bail in a loan fraud case, a police official said.
Chanda Kochhar walked out of the Byculla women's prison in Mumbai, while her husband was released from the Arthur Road jail, the official said.
The CBI arrested Kochhars on December 23, 2022 in connection with the Videocon-ICICI Bank loan case.
The couple had filed petitions in the Bombay High Court challenging their arrest, terming it as illegal and arbitrary.
The HC on Monday granted them interim bail and came down heavily on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for making the arrest in a "casual and mechanical" manner and without application of mind.
The CBI named the Kochhars, Videocon group founder Venugopal Dhoot along with Nupower Renewables (NRL) - managed by Deepak Kochhar - Supreme Energy, Videocon International Electronics Ltd and Videocon Industries Ltd as accused in the FIR (first information report) linked to the case registered in 2019 under Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The central agency has alleged that ICICI Bank, headed by Chanda Kochhar from 2009 to 2018, sanctioned credit facilities to the tune of Rs 3,250 crore to these companies in violation of norms.
It further claimed that as a part of quid pro quo (Latin expression literally meaning "something for something"), Dhoot made an investment of Rs 64 crore in Nupower Renewables through Supreme Energy Pvt Ltd (SEPL), and transferred SEPL to Pinnacle Energy Trust managed by Deepak Kochhar through a circuitous route between 2010 and 2012.
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Azamgarh: Several youths from Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh and surrounding districts, who initially went to Russia for jobs as security guards and cooks, were fraudulently sent to fight on the Russian side in the war against Ukraine.
Out of the 13 men who travelled to Russia, three have died on the battlefield, while two others have returned home after sustaining injuries during the war. The whereabouts of the remaining eight are still unknown, and their families have not received any updates.
The Indian embassy in Moscow has designated the eight as ‘missing’, reported Times of India, citing the family members of the victims.
One such victim, Yogendra Yadav, had worked for several years in the Middle Eastern countries. The job offer in Russia seemed significantly better and more lucrative, as he was promised a watchman position that would pay him Rs 2 lakh per month. However, as his wife, Anita Devi, explained, the situation took a drastic turn. “But within a couple of days after landing in Russia, he informed us that he had been deceived by the agents and trapped in a battle zone. He along with others were asked to mandatorily take part in weapons training and then were sent on frontline to fight a war which had nothing to do with my husband or other Indian men,” she told TOI.
Yogendra has three children, including two daughters and a son. His eldest daughter, Muskan, is unsure about appearing for her class 12 board exams as her school fees have been unpaid for months, though the school had previously given her relief on humanitarian grounds.
Another missing victim is Azaruddin Khan, from Gulami Ka Pura in Azamgarh. His sister, Zeba, told the news outlet that the family is not asking for money, only his safe return. “It was the first time he went abroad for a simple job, not to fight in a war. After sending several emails to the Indian embassy in Moscow, we were only told that the status of eight men is still ‘missing’. My father, Mainuddin Khan, suffered a heart attack when he learned that Azaruddin was trapped in Russia to fight a war against Ukraine,” she shared.
Apart from Azaruddin Khan and Yogendra Yadav, several others from UP travelled to Russia between January and February last year, including Humeshwar Prasad, Vinod Yadav, Sunil Yadav, Kanhaiya Yadav, Arvind Kumar, Dhirendra Kumar, Deepak, Ramachandra, Shyam Sundar, Rakesh Yadav, and Brajesh Kumar Yadav.
Of these, Kanhaiya Yadav, Sunil Yadav, and Shyam Sundar died on the battlefield, with their bodies being returned to their hometowns between September and December 2024, added the report.
Rakesh Yadav and Brajesh Kumar Yadav returned home with shrapnel injuries in September last year. The whereabouts of the remaining eight men are still unknown
