Deepak Kochhar tests positive for Covid-19, admitted to AIIMS Delhi

Deepak Kochhar, the husband of former ICICI Bank MD & CEO Chanda Kochhar, has tested positive for Covid-19. According to media reports, he is asymptomatic and has been admitted to AIIMS Delhi.

Kochhar was arrested last week by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with ICICI Bank-Videocon money laundering case. After his arrest a special PMLA court remanded him to ED custody for 11 days. However, he was allowed to meet his lawyer at ED's Delhi office.

His advocate Vijay Aggarwal had met him on September 10 for legal guidance at ED's Khan Market headquarters.

Following his arrest in Mumbai, Kochhar was brought to Delhi for further investigation.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh and advocate Naveen Kumar Matta, representing the ED, had submitted that throughout the course of the investigation, Deepak had remained evasive and non-cooperative.

"For the same reason, investigation on certain crucial aspects of the case is still ongoing. Deepak Kochhar has deliberately not provided crucial documents/ leads and taken stands contradictory to the records, on one pretext or another, deliberately misled the ED," the lawyers had submitted before the court.

Earlier this year, the probe agency had provisionally attached the assets of the Kochhars, including their south Mumbai apartment over allegations that he had received Rs 64 crore for his company NuPower from the Videocon International Electronics Ltd (VIEL). The authority is yet to confirm the attachment as Kochhars’ reply on the assets is awaited.