Dhoot told Chanda Kochhar’s husband she would ‘land up sharing room with Indrani’: Chargesheet in ICICI Bank loan fraud case

PTI, Aug 6, 2023, 12:22 PM IST

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Videocon Group founder Venugopal Dhoot had during an argument over a flat told Deepak Kochhar, the husband of ICICI bank’s former CEO and MD Chanda Kochhar, that she would ”land up sharing room with Indrani Mukerjea,” as per the chargesheet filed by the CBI in an alleged loan irregularities case.

Deepak Kochhar became very angry and asked Dhoot to listen to his advice, otherwise he would ”ruin him”, according to the chargesheet.

The claim, citing the statement of a witness, is part of the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) chargesheet filed in the case against Chanda Kochhar, Deepak Kochhar and Dhoot.

The Kochhars and Dhoot, arrested in December last year, are currently out on bail.

Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the case of murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, was lodged in the Byculla jail here for more than six years following arrest in August 2015. She was granted bail by the Supreme Court in May 2022.

The chargesheet in the Kochhar case, running into more than 10,000 pages was filed recently before a special CBI court here. As per a witness’s statement, there was an altercation between Dhoot and Deepak Kochhar about a flat at the CCI Chambers in Churchgate area here. Dhoot told Deepak Kochhar that he had paid Rs 5.38 crore to the State Bank of India Home Finance Ltd and released the title of the flat from a dispute, and that it belonged to him, the witness said in the statement.

“Shri Deepak Kochhar became infuriated and told V N Dhoot to sell all the shares of Quality Appliance Pvt Ltd at face value of Rs 11 lakh; this way the flat would be transferred to his (Deepak’s) family trust Quality Advisor, otherwise Chanda would declare his loan accounts with ICICI Bank NPA (Non-Performing Assets),” the statement said.

“Shri V N Dhoot told him (Deepak) that don’t transfer the flat in such a way (that) Chanda would be in trouble one day and would land up sharing room with Indrani Mukerjea. Shri Deepak Kochhar became very angry and told Shri V N Dhoot (to) listen to his advice, otherwise he would ruin him,” it added.

The probe agency said Chanda Kochhar resided in a flat owned by the Videocon Group in Mumbai.

The flat was subsequently transferred to her family trust (Deepak Kochhar being its managing trustee) at a meagre amount of Rs 11 lakh in October 2016, while its actual value was Rs 5.25 crore in 1996. She knew it to be inadequate consideration, as per the chargesheet.

The Kochhars were arrested by the central probe agency in December last year in connection with the case.

Later, the Bombay High Court granted interim bail to the couple and came down heavily on the CBI for making the arrest in a ”casual and mechanical” manner and without application of mind.

Dhoot, who too was arrested in December last year, is also currently out on bail.

The CBI has named the Kochhars and Venugopal Dhoot, Nupower Renewables (NRL) managed by Deepak Kochhar, Supreme Energy, Videocon International Electronics Ltd and Videocon Industries Limited, as accused in the FIR registered under Indian Penal Code sections related to criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2019.