Rotomac case: CBI questions six former BoB officials

The CBI on Tuesday questioned six former Bank of Baroda officials, including then Chairman and Managing Director M.D. Mallya, in connection with the Rs 3,695 crore bank fraud case involving the Rotomac group.

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official said here that those questioned for the last three days along with Mallya were then Executive Directors V. Santhanarman and R.K. Bakshi, a bank board Director, a General Manager and a Deputy General Manager.

An official said that the CBI officials asked them about loan disbursal to the Rotomac group.

On February 22, the agency had arrested Rotomac owner Vikram Kothari and his son Rahul in the case.

The agency filed a case on February 19 after the bank filed a complaint against Kothari, his wife Sadhana and son Rahul. Kothari is the Chairman and Managing Director of the Rotomac group while his wife and son are Directors.

Kothari had obtained Rs 2,919 crore from various banks, including from the Bank of India (Rs 754.77 crore), Bank of Baroda (Rs 456.63 crore), Indian Overseas Bank (Rs 771.07 crore), Union Bank of India (Rs 458.95 crore), Allahabad Bank (Rs 330.68 crore), Bank of Maharashtra (Rs 49.82 crore), and Oriental Bank of Commerce (Rs 97.47 crore), the FIR said.

The Kotharis and some unidentified bank officials and private persons were booked on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Bank of Baroda complained that the Kanpur-based firm and its related companies were extended credit from 2008 onwards.

The CBI had confiscated several belongings of the Kotharis, including laptops and mobile phones.

--IANS

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