RBI starts probe into Citi fraud

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has initiated a probe into the Rs 300-crore fraud at Citibank’s Gurgaon branch and will issue a detailed statement on this later.

RBI Executive Director G Gopalakrishna told reporters today that the central bank is looking into how the fraud was perpetrated and its implications. Gopalakrishna was in Chandigarh to attend a financial inclusion programme.

The RBI investigators will determine whether there were any systemic deficiencies that had been exploited. They will also track where the money came from and where it went.

Citibank has already said RBI was being kept apprised of its internal investigations since the fraud came to light. Shivraj Puri, who was Citibank’s relationship manager at its Gurgaon branch, has been arrested in connection with the fraud. Meanwhile, The Hero Group today said it has initiated a dialogue with authorities and Citibank to recover Rs 28.75 crore that it had invested via entities with Puri.

“These investments were made as part of routine treasury operation in what seemed like perfectly legal investment options. Hero Group is disappointed to learn that it has become a victim of the fraud under question. The group is taking appropriate action and has also initiated a dialogue with relevant authorities and Citibank to recover its dues,” the company said in a statement.

It further clarified that Hero Honda Motors, part of the group, was not involvement in any of these investments. Neither Hero Honda Motors Chairman Brijmohan Lal Munjal nor son Pawan Munjal has anything to do with this matter, the company stated.

According to police, Rs 200 crore belonged to corporates, including the Hero Group, and Rs 100 crore to individuals.

Puri allegedly sold investment products to high net-worth individuals (HNIs), claiming they would generate very high returns. It is also alleged that Puri showed a forged notification from market regulator Securities & Exchange Board of India to obtain funds from customers.

He also allegedly routed the funds garnered from HNI customers into the stock market through brokerage firms like Religare Securities.

He also claimed that these products were authorised by the bank’s investment product committee.

Police have sealed 81 accounts in several banks, where they believe the money siphoned off by Puri had been deposited.

They include State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, HDFC Bank, Standard Chartered, Axis Bank and RBS.

Reports suggest Puri had opened over 80 accounts in his name, those of his grandparents and mother Diksha Puri. It is not yet clear in which banks these accounts had been opened.

The fraud at Citibank is one of the biggest in Indian banking history.

According to RBI’s annual report for 2009-10, the number of frauds in the domestic banking sector rose to 24,797 in 2009-10 from 23,914 in 2008-09.