How Did ED Restore Rs 56.13 Crore Proceeds of Crime to IDBI in KCC Fish Tank Case?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- ED restored Rs 56.13 crore to IDBI Bank
- Case linked to Kisan Credit Card fish tank loans
- Investigations revealed extensive fraud
- Restitution approved by Special PMLA Court
- Significant implications for banking regulations
Visakhapatnam, Oct 9 (NationPress) The Directorate of Enforcement, Visakhapatnam Sub-Zonal Office has successfully restored Rs 56.13 crore Proceeds of Crime (POC) to IDBI Bank in connection with the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Fish Tank Case. On Thursday, the central agency announced that it had effectively completed the restitution of properties valued at Rs. 56.13 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2022.
The properties in question were attached as part of PMLA investigations into two cases involving significant fraud in the processing and approval of loans related to the construction of ponds/tanks for fish farming/pisciculture.
The assets subject to restitution, as permitted by the Special PMLA Court in Visakhapatnam, comprise 155 parcels of land, as well as residential and commercial plots and apartments located in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The loans were sanctioned at the Bhimavaram and Palangi branches of IDBI Bank in Andhra Pradesh. The ED began its investigation based on FIRs filed by the CBI, Visakhapatnam, against individuals including Rebba Satyanarayana, Kumar Pappu Singh, and bank officials, for defrauding IDBI Bank during the processing and sanctioning of KCC fish tank loans.
Investigations by the ED revealed that both Rebba Satyanarayana and Kumar Pappu Singh operated as loan aggregators for KCC loans totaling Rs. 181.87 Crore in the names of 230 borrowers during the fiscal years 2010-11 and 2011-12 at various branches of IDBI Bank. They fraudulently secured the KCC Fish Tank loans using the names of family members, employees, and friends, utilizing forged documents and acting as guarantors by mortgaging properties belonging to them and their relatives, as well as properties purchased in the names of their associates.
The funds obtained from these loans were misappropriated and used to acquire properties and make investments. The total estimated Proceeds of Crime in these cases stands at Rs. 234.23 crore, with properties worth Rs. 84.93 crore provisionally attached by the ED during the investigation.
The ED has filed Prosecution Complaints in these cases before the Special PMLA Court in Visakhapatnam, which has acknowledged the complaints.
IDBI Bank submitted restitution applications in both cases under Section 8(8) of the PMLA, 2002, and the ED expressed its agreement for the restitution of the attached immovable properties to the victim of the fraud, IDBI Bank.
On September 15 and 18, the Court approved the restitution petitions, facilitating the return of the attached assets.