Plain speaking integrity: Meet Pratip Chaudhuri, former chairman, SBI

Chaudhuri became the chairman on April 7, 2011, a month after O P Bhatt retired, and his term ended on September 30, 2013

Former State Bank of India (SBI) chairman Pratip Chaudhuri’s arrest has come as a shock to the banking industry, particularly when the government is keen to shield public sector bankers from bona fide credit decisions that turn sour.

Chaudhuri was known to be a clean banker, and the allegations are not directed against him but pertain to the directors of a company on a deal that was approved by SBI after he retired from the bank. Chaud­huri’s appointment in the Alchemist Asset Reconstruction Company (AARC) was app­roved by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Moreover, attempts to challenge the asset