CBI questions former RBI deputy governor in PNB scam

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday questioned a former deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Harun Rashid Khan in connection with the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, wherein noted diamantaire Nirav Modi and his maternal uncle and partner Mehul Choksi are prime accused.

The Central Bank has faced criticism that it failed for years to either detect the fraud or correct a breakdown of normal practices at the nation's second-largest state-run bank.

On Thursday, three chief general managers and one general manager of the central bank have been questioned regarding the case, according to sources.

The officers were asked about the suspected lapses in the statutory audit of the bank, owing to which it is claimed that the discrepancies in the issuance of Letters of Understanding and Letters of Credit were not detected.

CBI sources said the officials were also questioned in connection with the issuance of a notification allowing the relaxation in 80:20 gold import scheme, which the BJP claimed was done to give undue favours to Choksi's group of companies.

The scam, which reportedly began in 2011, was detected in the third week of January this year, after which the PNB officials reported it to the concerned agencies.

The CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) have registered multiple FIRs against Nirav, his wife, brother and Choksi in connection with the suspected fraud.

Nirav and others had left India in the first week of January and the ED has obtained non-bailable warrants against Nirav and Choksi.

Both Nirav and Modi had also evaded multiple summonses issued by the CBI citing that their passport has been revoked by the government and they could not travel to India.

OneIndia News (with agency inputs)