CBI files 2nd chargesheet in RCom loan fraud; ₹19,694 crore at stake
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday, 17 July filed a second chargesheet in the Reliance Communications Limited (RCom) loan fraud case before the Special Judge for CBI Cases in Mumbai, naming M/s Netizen Engineering Pvt. Ltd. (formerly Reliance Infocomm Engineering Pvt. Ltd.) and its two directors, Anil Kalya and Tunu Sahu, for alleged criminal conspiracy, criminal misappropriation, and cheating. The case involves a total bank and financial institution exposure of ₹19,694.33 crore, as stated in the original FIR.
The Role of Netizen Engineering
According to the CBI, its investigation established that Netizen Engineering Pvt. Ltd. was allegedly deployed by RCom as a pass-through entity to facilitate the wilful diversion of funds. The agency contends this arrangement caused wrongful losses to lending banks while generating corresponding wrongful gains for the accused and associated entities. The case was originally registered on the basis of a complaint filed by the State Bank of India (SBI).
The First Chargesheet and Broader Probe
The second chargesheet follows an earlier filing on 29 May, when the CBI had charged 16 accused — including Reliance Communications Limited, five of its senior executives, and ten bank officials. The agency has clarified that further investigation remains open to determine the roles of other accused persons and to examine additional dimensions of the case.
Seven FIRs Across the Reliance Group
The CBI has registered a total of seven FIRs in connection with alleged fraud across multiple Reliance Group entities — Reliance Communications Limited (RCom), Reliance Home Finance Limited (RHFL), Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL), and Reliance Telecom Limited (RTL). These FIRs were filed on the basis of complaints from various public sector banks and the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).
What Comes Next
With the investigation still open and seven FIRs spanning multiple group entities, the CBI probe appears far from its conclusion. Legal proceedings before the Special CBI Court in Mumbai are expected to advance as the agency continues to examine the roles of additional accused. The scale of alleged fund diversion — touching public sector banks and LIC — makes this one of the larger ongoing corporate fraud investigations in India.