New Delhi: It has become a routine affair for those accused facing Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe to skip investigation. Following the footsteps of Congress President Rahul Gandhi's brother in law Robert Vadra, Ex CEO ICICI bank Chanda Kochhar has also given ED investigation a miss.

According to sources, the agency had called Chanda Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar for questioning, but only Deepak showed up for the investigation. Sources have confirmed that Chanda Kochhar has sent a letter to ED officials saying that she would not be able to attend the questioning due to personal reasons.

ED officials claimed that they had allowed Chanda Kochhar and her husband to go out for lunch for 30 minutes during the questioning. The agency had also prepared a list of questions based on her replies to the investigators.

Similarly, Robert Vadra, last month, skipped questioning and informed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials that he is unwell. Vadra, who was grilled by the investigators on Thursday, is not cooperating with the agency, ED officials had claimed. The Enforcement Directorate is probing a money-laundering case involving assets abroad.

Also read: Robert Vadra skips ED questioning, says he is unwell

The ED has registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act earlier this year against the accused. A probe has been ordered into the alleged irregularities and corrupt practices involved in sanctioning Rs 1,875 crore loans by the bank to the corporate group.

Why Chanda Kocchar is being investigated?

This ED action was based on a CBI FIR where multiple companies, including Dhoot's Videocon International Electronics Ltd (VIEL) and Videocon Industries Limited (VIL), were named. The CBI also named Supreme Energy, a company founded by Dhoot, and NuPower Renewables, a company controlled by Deepak Kochhar, in the FIR.

The initial investigation by the CBI and the ED revealed that from June 2009 to October 2011, ICICI Bank had allegedly sanctioned six high-value loans to various Videocon Group companies.

Also read: Enforcement Directorate bears down on Kocchars and Dhoot, intense grilling continues

It was also alleged that Dhoot invested a large number of funds in Nupower within months after Videocon Group received Rs 3,250 crore as loan from ICICI Bank in 2012 after Chanda took over the post of managing director of the ICICI Bank on May 1, 2009.