CBI to file charge sheet against Hiranandanis soon

The CBI will soon file a charge sheet against two Directors of Hiranandani Group -- Niranjan and Surendra Hiranandani -- in the alleged Rs 9 crore provident fund scam in its companies.

"The charge sheet, which runs into over 40,000 pages, would be filed next week," CBI counsel Bharat Badami told a special CBI court here today.

Apart from Niranjan and Surendra, the charge sheet would also name 12 other accused including officials from the Hiranandani Group and from the Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), the counsel said.

All the accused would be charged under sections 120 (b) for criminal conspiracy and 420 cheating of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

According to the Anti Corruption Bureau of CBI, which had lodged an FIR on March 29, 2008, Hiranandani Group had not deposited the provident fund of their employees between the period 2003–06.

The alleged non-payment, as per a report filed by the Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) in its departmental enquiry, is to the tune of Rs 9.36 crore.

The CBI had on August four this year issued look out notices against Niranjan and Surendra to all the airports after they failed to appear before the agency for questioning.

The duo then approached the court seeking anticipatory bail, which was granted.