Indian state-run bank sanctioned loans to defaulting firm-document

D S Kulkarni Developers

21/06/2018 13:44

MUMBAI, June 21 (Reuters) - The chief executive of state-run
Bank of Maharashtra  BMBK.NS  sanctioned a 100 million rupee
($1.5 million) loan to a real estate firm which had defaulted on
payments to investors, according to a court document on the
latest probe into loan fraud at Indian banks.
    Police arrested the bank's chief executive Ravindra Marathe,
executive director Rajendra Gupta and a former chairman on
Wednesday, accusing them of misusing their authority in making
loans to D.S. Kulkarni Developers Ltd (DSKDL)  DSKL.NS .
    The executives were the most senior to face arrest in a
spate of investigations Indian law enforcement agencies have
launched against state-run banks following a more than $2
billion fraud unearthed at Punjab National Bank  PNBK.NS 
earlier this year.
    "Accused Gupta and Marathe illegally sanctioned and
disbursed 100 million-rupee loan to DSKDL on April 12, 2017,"
the police said in a document filed in a court in the western
city of Pune, where the bank and the developer are based. 
    Reuters has reviewed a copy of the document.
    Marathe and Gupta have not commented on the allegations or
their arrests. 
    The court ordered the two executives and four others to be
remanded in custody until June 27 for further questioning. 
    Bank of Maharashtra, a mid-sized lender, said on Wednesday
it had a total outstanding exposure of 945.2 million rupees to
the developer, adding the loans were fully backed by collateral.
    The bank also said all loans made to the developer were per
the bank's lending rules, and that the bank was auctioning some
properties to recover dues.
    D.S. Kulkarni Developers, one of the biggest property firms
in Pune city, has been accused of defaulting on deposits it
raised from individuals promising them higher returns.
    More than 1,200 cheques issued by the developer to
depositors bounced, according to the document.
    The police document put the total amount the developer owes
to depositors, banks and others at 20.43 billion rupees ($299.5
million).
    Marathe was named Bank of Maharashtra's CEO in September
2016. His predecessor Sushil Muhnot was also arrested on
Wednesday.
    Muhnot has also not commented on the arrest. DSKDL did not
respond to Reuters calls seeking comment.
    Authorities have stepped up scrutiny of the state banking
sector in the wake of the fraud at PNB, the second-largest
state-run lender.
    Current and former officials at other state lenders,
including IDBI Bank  IDBI.NS , Indian Bank  INBA.NS , Syndicate
Bank  SBNK.NS  and Canara Bank  CNBK.NS  are being investigated
over alleged loan fraud cases.
    
($1 = 68.2100 Indian rupees)

 (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Writing by Devidutta Tripathy;
Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Jan Harvey)
 ((rajendra.jadhav@thomsonreuters.com ; +91-22-6180-7153 ;
Reuters Messaging:
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