New Delhi: CBI (The Central Bureau of Investigation) has registered a case of bank fraud against Mohit Bharatiya, Bharatiya Janata Party leader, and four others for allegedly defrauding the state-run Bank of India of Rs. 67 crores.
The role of some bank officials is also under the scanner in the matter, sources in the investigation agency said.
Based on the bank’s complaint, the CBI has filed a case of cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and corruption against Mohit Bharatiya, Abhishek Kapoor, Naresh Kapoor, Siddhant Bagla, Irtesh Mishra, M/s Avyaan Overseas Pvt Ltd, M/s KBJ Hotels Goa Pvt Ltd and unknown public servants.
M/s Avyaan Overseas Pvt Ltd managed by Mohit BJP leader had taken a loan of Rs. 60 crores from the Bank of India in 2013.
The bank has also alleged that the company has not filed its financial statements since 2014.
In March 2015, the company’s account was declared a Non-Performed Asset – a tag given to companies after prolonged period of non-payment of loans.
“An internal investigation by the bank disclosed that the company indulged in diversion of funds for purchase of a flat in the name of one of the directors through payments to unnamed parties,” the bank has stated in its complaint to the CBI.
According to the bank, many company’s directors Abhishek Kapoor in 2013, Naresh Kapoor in 2014, Mohit Bharatiya in 2015 and Jitendra Kapoor in 2016 resigned after the company account was tagged NPA.
“The company, its promoters and directors have committed criminal offence with dishonest intention to defraud the bank and misused public funds to put the bank in loss. The illegal act committed by the accused has caused the bank to suffer a wrongful loss to the tune of more than Rs. 67.22 crore,” the Bank of India has alleged.
Though Mohit Bharatiya has denied the charges claiming that a one-time settlement of Rs. 30 crores against the dues was reached in 2018, the bank alleged that the settlement resulted in loss and pointed at discrepancies in the source of funds submitted.
Mohit Bharatiya is the general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Mumbai.