Jagdish Khattar, the former managing director of Maruti Udyog, and a company he owns have been accused of defrauding a state-owned bank of Rs 110 crore, according to complaint filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The CBI searched premises linked to Khattar, 77, and Carnation Auto India Limited on Monday evening in its probe of losses suffered by the Punjab National Bank, said officials. Khattar worked with Maruti Udyog Limited from 1993 to 2007 when he retired as Managing Director of the company.
Khattar, after retiring, launched Carnation for which he got a loan of Rs 170 crore sanctioned in 2009. The loan was declared non performing asset in 2015 with effect from 2012, the FIR said.
The CBI has registered a police complaint called first information report (FIR) under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and cheating on a complaint from Punjab National Bank, the officials said.
It alleged that Khattar and his company dishonestly and fraudulently sold the goods pledged to the bank without its permission and diverted the funds thereby causing criminal breach of trust and cheating that caused wrongful loss to the bank and gain to Khattar and his company.
The bank had conducted a forensic audit which allegedly showed that fixed assets to the tune of Rs 66.92 crore were sold for a consideration amount of Rs 4.55 crore without its approval, they said.
It is also alleged that sale proceeds were not deposited with the bank and Khattar had dishonestly and fraudulently extended loans and advances to its sister concern/subsidiaries also.
“Thereby it has committed mis-appropriation of bank funds and has put them for own use,” the FIR said.
The bank officials allegedly did not do mandatory monthly verification of stock and cross check the debtors/creditors, the FIR said adding role of bank officials will be under scanner.
The bank had mentioned five accused persons in its complaint including three guarantor companies–Khattar Auto India Pvt Ltd, Carnation Realty Pvt Ltd and Carnation Insurance Broking Company Pvt Ltd but their direct role did not surface during the verification exercise.
“However, their role in detail will be ascertained during investigation,” the agency said.
Source: Business Standard
