Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Bank fraud charge sheet reveals details

SENIOR executives at India’s Punjab National Bank (PNB) misled the central bank in late 2016 over the lender’s handling of the financial messaging system and credit guarantees that were at the centre of a more than $2 billion (£1.5bn) fraud, Indian police alleged in a charge sheet filed in court last week.

PNB, India’s second-largest state-run bank, said earlier this year that two jewellery groups, headed by Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, had defrauded it of about $2.2bn (£1.6bn) by raising credit from overseas branches of other Indian banks using illegal guarantees issued by rogue PNB staff at a Mumbai branch over several years.


The PNB staff allegedly did not make note of the fake guarantees sent via the SWIFT financial mes­saging system in the bank’s core accounting soft­ware, leading to the fraud going undetected for years.

In 2016, after separate incidents of misuse of the SWIFT system elsewhere, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had repeatedly cautioned all banks, including PNB, and sought details from the banks on their compliance with required cyber security controls.

Former PNB chief executive Usha Ananthasu­bramanian, two of the bank’s executive directors – KV Brahmaji Rao and Sanjiv Sharan – and a general manager did not take “any meaningful corrective measures” on the RBI notices, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said in the charge sheet, filed in the city civil and session court, Mumbai.

The accused PNB general manager, Nehal Ahad, “prepared a misleading reply” to RBI questions in October 2016 specific to SWIFT and measures in place for issuing letters of undertaking and letters of credit – forms of credit guarantees at the heart of the fraud – according to the police charge sheet, a copy of which was seen by reporters on Monday (21).

The questions had been “dealt by” all four offi­cials and Sharan had approved the reply which said outward messages on SWIFT were being sent only after entries in the core accounting software were made, police said.

The CBI also said that senior executives of Modi’s group had met Ananthasubramanian “to continue with the credit facilities to the group entities”, with­out saying when the meetings took place.

Ananthasubramanian, Rao, Sharan and Ahad are among 22 people and three firms that have been charged by police in India’s biggest bank fraud case. The defendants face charges of criminal conspira­cy, cheating and dishonesty and criminal breach of trust by a public servant.

Ananthasubramanian, Rao and Sharan did not reply to calls seeking comment, while Ahad could not immediately be reached.

More For You

modi-trump-getty
Trump shakes hands with Modi during a joint press conference at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 25, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images)

Key issues in India, US trade talks

TRADE talks between India and the US have hit a roadblock over disagreements on duties for auto components, steel and farm goods, Indian government sources said to Reuters, dashing hopes of reaching an interim deal ahead of president Donald Trump's July 9 deadline to impose reciprocal tariffs.

Here are the key issues at play:

Keep ReadingShow less
Anil Agarwal

Vedanta Resources, which is based in the UK and owned by Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal, has been working on reducing its debt. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Anil Agarwal’s Vedanta Resources signs £438 million refinancing deal

VEDANTA LTD said on Thursday that its parent company, Vedanta Resources, has signed a loan facility agreement worth up to £438 million with international banks to refinance existing debt.

The refinancing move, where old loans are replaced by new ones, often at better terms like lower interest rates, has led ratings agencies such as S&P Global Ratings and Moody's to upgrade their outlook on the company this year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump-Getty

Trump said that while deals are being made with some countries, others may face tariffs.

Getty Images

Trump says major trade deal with India may be finalised soon

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Friday said a "very big" trade deal could be finalised with India, suggesting significant movement in the ongoing negotiations between the two countries.

“We are having some great deals. We have one coming up, maybe with India. Very big one. Where we're going to open up India," Trump said at the “Big Beautiful Bill” event at the White House.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asda suffers nearly £600m loss as debt and IT costs surge

Asda co-ownerMohsin Issa. (Photo: Asda)

Asda suffers nearly £600m loss as debt and IT costs surge

ASDA, one of Britain’s largest supermarkets, has reported a pre-tax loss of £599 million for 2024, swinging sharply from a £180 million profit the previous year.

The loss comes despite total sales rising by over £1 billion to £26.8bn, as the retailer faces mounting debt costs, falling sales, and spiralling spending on a major IT overhaul, the Telegraph reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mounjaro

Mounjaro, or tirzepatide, is part of a new class of weight-loss medications, with trials showing patients losing an average of 20 per cent of their body weight after 72 weeks.

Reuters

Lilly to sell Mounjaro pens in India as Wegovy enters market

ELI LILLY said on Thursday that it has received approval from India's drug regulator to launch pre-filled injector pens of its weight-loss drug, Mounjaro.

The move gives the company more options to compete with Novo Nordisk, which recently launched its weight-loss drug Wegovy in the country.

Keep ReadingShow less