CBI books 'missing' businessman Pramod Goenka for Rs 405-cr 'bank fraud'

The CBI has booked Pramod Goenka, the missing brother of DB Realty Managing Director Vinod Goenka, and his company Yash Jewellery in a case of alleged cheating that caused a loss of more than Rs 405 crore to State Bank of India, officials said on Monday.

The CBI FIR relates to credit facilities extended to Pramod Goenka-owned Yash Jewellery by SBI which were allegedly not repaid turning the account into a non-performing asset in 2014.

The FIR registered on the basis of a complaint from SBI accused Pramod Goenka, Rustom Ariez Tata and Anant L Prabhudesai of entering into a criminal conspiracy to cheat the bank allegedly inducing it to sanction loans of Rs 235 crore, which they siphoned off, causing a loss of Rs 405.58 crore.

Yash Jewellery was established in 2007 in collaboration with Andin International Inc., New York, which had 40 per cent equity, the bank said.

The stake of Andin International Inc. was purchased by promoters in 2008.

Yash Jewellery Private Limited took over a 51 per cent stake in Jewel America through a special purpose vehicle RD42 that was owned by Pramod Goenka and other shareholders in 2007, the SBI complaint said.

"...Pramod Goenka, holding shares of DB Realty, is reported missing since February 2018. We do not have any information on the present status of any share of DB Realty held by him," the bank said in its complaint to the CBI on April 12.

The Mumbai-based 56-year-old businessman went missing in 2018, reportedly kidnapped by an African gang in Maputo, Mozambique.