The CBI has informed the CBI Special Court, Panchkula, that IDFC First Bank has granted permission under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act to proceed against bank officials Ribhav Rishi, Abhay Kumar, Seema Dhiman, Priyanka Bhatoa, Anuj Kaushal and Arun Sharma in the Rs 645-crore bank scam involving IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank.
It examined the accused after getting permission. The CBI has told the court that the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Haryana, which initially investigated the case, had not taken permission under Section 17A. It implies that bank officials will also face charges related to the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Supreme Court held in 2016 that private sector bank employees are deemed public servants.
Earlier, on May 21, the CBI had filed a chargesheet against 13 people and two shell entities.
The challan was filed against six bank officials —Ribhav Rishi, Abhay Kumar, Seema Dhiman, Priyanka Bhatoa, Anuj Kaushal and Arun Sharma. Also, Abhishek Singla and Swati Singla, who were Directors in Swastik Desh Projects, and Ankur Sharma, who was a Director in M/s SRR Planning Gurus, were mentioned as accused.
Former Haryana Government employees, Amit Diwan, Randhir Singh and Naresh Kumar, who are now dismissed from the service, are also accused. A private individual, Manish Jindal, along with the shell entities M/s Swastik Desh Projects and M/s SRR Planning Gurus, is accused in the case.
Role of shell entities
Swati Singla and her brother Abhishek Singla had received over Rs 200 crore from funds parked in the accounts of Haryana Government departments, held at IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank.
