Rajiv Kochhar, the brother-in-law of ICICI Bank MD & CEO Chanda Kochhar, was detained by immigration authorities at Mumbai airport when he was to leave for a Southeast Asian country and handed over to CBI sleuths, who questioned him in connection with the bank’s dealing with Videocon Group.
Kochhar was stopped from leaving the country at the Mumbai international airport by the authorities as the CBI had issued a Lookout Circular (LoC) against him, officials said.
He was handed over to a CBI team which is questioning him in connection with the case, they said.
The CBI has already questioned a few ICICI Bank officials as part of a preliminary enquiry to find if any quid pro quo was involved in the bank issuing a Rs 3,250-crore loan to Videocon Group in 2012.
Agency officials said they are also studying relevant documents of the transaction and if they come across any evidence that indicates wrongdoing, ICICI Bank managing director and chief executive officer Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar along with others could be summoned for detailed questioning.
They said the statements of nodal officers of ICICI Bank, who were part of processing the loan of about Rs 3,250 crore, have been recorded as part of the preliminary enquiry or PE registered six weeks ago.
The PE has named Videocon Group promoter Venugopal Dhoot, Deepak Kochhar and unidentified others, 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.