Mumbai — The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a second supplementary charge sheet in the Reliance Communications Ltd. case, accusing Reliance ADA Group Managing Director Amitabh Jhunjhunwala of criminal conspiracy, criminal misappropriation and cheating that allegedly caused a loss of more than Rs 971 crore to the State Bank of India.
The charge sheet was filed Friday before a special CBI court in Mumbai. According to the agency, its investigation found that Jhunjhunwala played a key role in an alleged conspiracy to fraudulently obtain a Rs 1,200 crore term loan for Reliance Communications Ltd. and Reliance Infratel Ltd.
The companies allegedly failed to repay the loans, resulting in a loss of about Rs 971.25 crore to SBI, the CBI said.
The agency registered the case following a complaint from SBI. According to the FIR, the total exposure of Indian public sector banks and financial institutions in the matter stands at Rs 19,694.33 crore.
The CBI filed its first charge sheet in the case on May 29 against 16 accused, including Reliance Communications, five senior company executives and 10 bank officials.
The agency later filed a supplementary charge sheet against Netizen Engineering P Ltd. and its directors, Anil Jamna Kalya and Tunu Sahu. With the latest filing against Jhunjhunwala, the total number of accused in the case has risen to 20.
The CBI said further investigation is continuing against other accused and into additional aspects of the case.
The agency has registered eight FIRs involving Reliance Communications, Reliance Home Finance Ltd., Reliance Commercial Finance Ltd. and Reliance Telecom Ltd. based on complaints from various public sector banks, the Life Insurance Corporation of India and the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation.
Seven people have so far been arrested in cases involving the Reliance ADA Group and are currently in judicial custody, according to the CBI.
The Supreme Court is monitoring the investigation. (Source: IANS)
