india

Updated: Jul 02, 2019 22:33 IST

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday searched premises of 13 companies and bank officials across the country for alleged bank frauds amounting to ₹1,139 crore, an agency spokesperson said.

The search and seizure was one of the biggest simultaneous, synchronised actions against bank loan defaulters in recent times. The CBI’s top-brass, including its director Rishi Kumar Shukla, directly monitored the countrywide action.

The agency has registered 17 cases including three against bank officials. The banks have brought the frauds to the agency’s notice. The search and seizure operations were carried out at over 60 locations spread across 18 cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Ludhiana, Thane, Valsad, Pune, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru.

The agency said that companies whose premises were searched included a diamond firm and a hotel.

“Officials of the agency swooped down at different locations in 12 states across the country in a coordinated action against the promoters and directors of the companies made accused in the cases,” the spokesperson said and added the searches were carried out at 50 premises. The operation involved over 300 officers.

Initially, the frauds were believed to have amounted to ₹640 crore. As the search and seizure continued through the day, the figure of alleged frauds was pegged at about to ₹1,139 crore. “After the evidence is evaluated more criminal cases are likely to be registered,” said a CBI official, who did not want to be named.

With alleged default of ₹202 crore, the Diamond firm topped the list of alleged defaulters. The total default of the group is alleged to be between ₹6,800-7,000 crore. The company started to default on its payments in 2013.

By evening, the agency had already registered 17 FIRs across the country and the process of registering more is going on, they said. In Mumbai, the agency searched several premises braving incessant rains and waterlogged streets.