PMC Bank fraud: ‘HDIL gave ₹70 cr to bank directors’ family’

According to an interim forensic audit report, the total cumulative loss suffered by Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank is ₹6,670 crore. Approximately ₹70 crore was allegedly distributed by real estate company Housing Development Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) among the family members of the bank’s directors as kickbacks.

According to an interim forensic audit report, the total cumulative loss suffered by Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank is ₹6,670 crore. Approximately ₹70 crore was allegedly distributed by real estate company Housing Development Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) among the family members of the bank’s directors as kickbacks.

An interim forensic report, drawn up by a private company deputed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), was submitted to Mumbai Police’s economic offences wing (EOW) last week. The report revealed that between September 7 and September 19, ₹65 crore was withdrawn by 23 people, including prominent customers, bank staff and directors on the bank’s board. On September 23, the RBI put restrictions on PMC Bank. A week later, a first information report (FIR) was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against top officials of PMC, HDIL and others.

EOW also found out that another ₹5 crore had been misappropriated by employees of PMC Bank. Investigations also showed that the statutory and concurrent auditors of the bank flouted the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India’s (ICAI) norms by favouring HDIL and its sister concerns.

According to the FIR registered by EOW, the directors and other officials of PMC Bank allegedly availed loans unlawfully to HDIL and its entities between 2008 and 2019. The accused bank officials have admitted to not classifying loans on which HDIL had defaulted for years, as non-performing assets.

The accused bank officials in connivance with others had replaced 44 suspicious loan accounts linked to HDIL with 20,149 fictitious bank accounts whose individual balances were low, resulting in wrongful gain to private entities including the HDIL group of companies.

The FIR names eight companies linked to HDIL with a total outstanding balance of ₹4,355 crore in March. Of the 44 defaulting accounts, 10 belong to HDIL and companies linked to HDIL. One of the 10 accounts belongs to Rakesh Wadhawan with an outstanding balance of ₹2,008.62 crore on August 31, 2019.