New Delhi: The CBI on Thursday questioned two persons in connection with its ongoing probe into a Rs 389.85 crore loan fraud in the Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC).

 A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official said it grilled Punita Seth, wife of Sabhya Seth, who is one of the Directors of Karol Bagh-based Dwarka Das Seth International for several hours. It also questioned the mother of Reeta Seth, another director of the firm.

The OBC complaint has alleged that the jewellery company took loans for gold jewellery export or import between 2007 and 2012 but failed to pay back.

The CBI action comes in the wake of a case it registered after receiving a complaint from the OBC on August 16 last year regarding its bad loans. The loans turned into non-performing assets (NPAs) in 2014, but the bank approached the agency last year, after the company had folded up and prime accused Sabhya Seth fled the country.

 The CBI has started tracing India-based directors and partners of the company.

On Monday, the CBI issued Look Out Circulars (LOCs) against Sabhya Seth, Reeta Seth, Krishna Kumar Singh, Ravi Singh -- the directors of the diamond jewellery exporting firm.

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Kalaburagi: Members of the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) and the Taluk Raitha Hitarakshana Samiti protested outside the Siddasiri Ethanol Power Unit in Chincholi, demanding appropriate minimum support price (MSP) to sugarcane farmers in Chincholi.

Pointing out that it was decided at the meeting chaired by District In-charge Minister Priyank Kharge on November 15 to provide farmers an MSP of Rs 2,950 per tonne of sugarcane with an additional Rs 50 as support price from sugar factory owners, the protesting farmers also demanded that the decision be implemented.

“The Siddasiri sugar factory owner has violated the agreement by paying each farmer only Rs 2,550,” the farmers have alleged.

President of the KPRS Kalaburagi District Unit Sharanabasappa Mamashetti said, “When he opened the factory, legislator Basanagouda Patil Yatnal had assured that the factory would pay farmers in Kalaburagi an additional Rs 100, but has failed to live up to the word.”

The protesting farmers have demanded that the authorities concerned give priority to sugarcane farmers of Chincholi and Kalagi taluks to support the sugarcane crop. “Also, the factories should employ local youngsters and due measures should be taken to ensure the safety of the drivers of sugarcane transport vehicles,” they said.

They also handed their memorandum to Tahsildar Subbanna Jamakhandi and Power Ethanol Unit General Manager Dayananda Banagara.

The Tahsildar has assured that a meeting with the sugar factory owners would be held to discuss the issues raised by the farmers.