Is There a Rs 120 Cr Bank Fraud Linked to a Sugar Company in Tamil Nadu?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The CBI conducted searches in connection with a Rs 120 crore bank fraud.
- Evidence related to a sugar company and its associates was seized.
- Allegations include criminal conspiracy and fund diversion.
- The case highlights concerns about financial misconduct.
- The investigation underscores the importance of accountability in banking.
New Delhi, Aug 12 (NationPress) On Tuesday, the CBI executed searches at six different sites across Tamil Nadu as part of an investigation into a significant Rs 120 crore bank fraud. They confiscated critical documents and digital evidence connected to a sugar firm and its two associated companies.
The operations took place in various areas, including Tenkasi, Chennai, and Tiruchirapalli, as part of a probe initiated following a complaint from Indian Overseas Bank, based in Chennai.
Locations searched included residential properties belonging to directors and officers of the accused company, along with business sites that had engaged in questionable transactions with the firm.
The CBI obtained digital evidence, which includes records associated with fund diversion and other pertinent materials for the inquiry.
The complainant, Indian Overseas Bank, contended that a Kanchipuram-based entity, along with its affiliates and unidentified public officials, perpetrated offenses involving criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, property misappropriation, and forgery, resulting in a wrongful loss of Rs 120.84 crores.
The bank identified the accused company as Padmaadevi Sugars Limited.
The allegations in the FIR detail fraudulent acquisition of various credit facilities from Indian Overseas Bank, property misappropriation, diversion of bank funds to sister concerns and unrelated entities, fund siphoning to related parties, interest-free advances to private enterprises, and suspicious cash deposits during the demonetization phase.
The entity and its associated firms are also suspected of transferring funds to shell or benami entities to obscure the actual use of borrowed funds, according to a statement from the CBI.
The two associated companies engaging in dubious transactions with Padmaadevi Sugars were identified as Appu Hotels Ltd and Otium Wood Industries.
The complainant bank highlighted substantial cash transactions from the three companies during the currency ban, raising concerns about illicit activities conducted using loans obtained from them.
The case was registered with the CBI, Bank Security and Fraud Bureau, Bengaluru Branch, upon the orders of the Madras High Court.