Counted as it is among the world’s fastest growing economies, an unfathomable amount of money flows in and out of the Indian economic system. But there are cracks in said system, and ever so often, a fraudulent mastermind uses them to slip some cash out for their advantage. From <keyword id="19964851" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ponzi" source="keywords">Ponzi</keyword> schemes to bank frauds, the Indian government and investors have fallen victim to many financial scandals — some of which were so sordid that they can be recounted like they happened yesterday. Here’s a rundown of the most infamous scams in Indian financial history: <h2><keyword id="20713434" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="harshad-mehta" source="keywords">Harshad Mehta</keyword> Scam (1992) – ₹4,000 Crore </h2>Perhaps the most iconic of all Indian financial scams, Harshad Mehta was known as the "Big Bull" of the stock market. He manipulated stock prices using illegal loopholes in the banking system. By obtaining unsecured loans from banks and investing them in the stock market, Mehta artificially inflated stock prices. His bubble burst when banks demanded their money back, revealing the massive fraud. This scandal led to a major reform in India's financial markets. Mehta died in jail before full legal accountability was reached, but the scam caused a significant loss to investors and led to tighter regulation in the Indian stock market. <h2><keyword id="23122396" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="satyam-scam" source="keywords">Satyam Scam</keyword> (2009) – ₹14,000 Crore </h2>Dubbed as India’s Enron, the Satyam scandal involved its founder, <keyword id="23122397" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ramalinga-raju" source="keywords">Ramalinga Raju</keyword>, admitting to falsifying the company's accounts to the tune of ₹14,000 crore. Satyam Computer Services, once considered a blue-chip company, was found guilty of inflating profits and revenues. Raju admitted to the scam after a failed attempt to buy two Maytas firms owned by his family. This case brought corporate governance issues in India to the forefront. Raju was convicted, but the legal processes have allowed him temporary freedom through bail. But this incident called for improved transparency and stricter corporate governance norms. <h2>Punjab National Bank Scam (2018) – ₹13,700 Crore </h2>Diamond merchant Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi orchestrated one of the largest frauds in Indian banking history by obtaining fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) from Punjab National Bank (PNB). These LoUs allowed them to obtain loans from foreign branches of Indian banks without providing any collateral. The scam involved over ₹13,700 crore, and Modi fled the country, causing significant reputational damage to India’s banking sector. Nirav Modi’s extradition is still pending, and Mehul Choksi remains out of India’s legal jurisdiction. The scam, however, resulted in strengthened banking regulations regarding LoUs and SWIFT transactions. <h2><keyword id="23122399" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vijay-mallya-scam" source="keywords">Vijay Mallya Scam</keyword> (2016) – ₹9,000 Crore</h2>The "King of Good Times" was living large while his airline, Kingfisher, was drowning in debt. Vijay Mallya allegedly defaulted on loans amounting to ₹9,000 crore from various banks. He fled to the UK in 2016, leaving creditors, employees, and stakeholders in financial distress. His lavish lifestyle amidst the collapse of his airline made this scandal a high-profile case. Mallya’s extradition process is ongoing, but he remains out of reach of Indian authorities. The main impact was enhanced scrutiny of loan defaults and triggered legal reforms on extradition. <h2>Saradha Chit Fund Scam (2013) – ₹2,500 Crore </h2>The Saradha Group, operating a ponzi scheme disguised as a chit fund, promised unrealistically high returns to its investors, mostly in West Bengal and Odisha. The scam collapsed, leaving over 1.7 million people, many of whom were low-income investors, without their life savings. Politicians and celebrities were also implicated in the case. While Sudipta Sen is behind bars, not all the accomplices have been held accountable. But this Ponzi scheme resulted in reform of chit funds and greater regulatory oversight on such investment schemes. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112337071" title="Noida woman invests in stock market via an app, loses over Rs 69 lakh as it turns out to be a scam" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2><keyword id="6560832" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="2g-spectrum-scam" source="Orion">2G Spectrum Scam</keyword> (2008) – ₹1,76,000 Crore </h2>The 2G spectrum allocation scandal involved the underpricing of telecom licences to select companies in exchange for bribes. Telecom minister A. Raja was at the centre of this controversy, which allegedly caused a loss of ₹1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer. The case was seen as a massive blow to public trust in India’s telecom sector and led to significant political fallout. Sadly, all key figures involved were acquitted despite the Supreme Court’s intervention and cancellation of 122 telecom licences. <h2><keyword id="455134" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="coal-allocation-scam" source="Orion">Coal Allocation Scam</keyword> (Coalgate) (2012) – ₹1,86,000 Crore </h2>The coal allocation scam, or "Coalgate," involved the illegal allocation of coal blocks to private companies between 2004 and 2009. The CAG of India estimated a loss of ₹1.86 lakh crore to the exchequer due to non-competitive bidding. Many high-profile politicians and industrialists were implicated, making this one of the largest political scandals in India. While some officials faced legal consequences, many key players were not prosecuted. But it did trigger policy reforms in the allocation of natural resources. <h2>DHFL Scam (2019) – ₹34,615 Crore </h2>Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited (DHFL) was accused of syphoning off over ₹34,000 crore through a series of shell companies and fraudulent loans. Investigations revealed that the promoters used these funds for personal enrichment and illegal political donations. The case came to light after an investigation by investigative journalists and was later confirmed by a report from KPMG. The case is ongoing, and the main accused are in custody. For now, regulations governing non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) have been strengthened. <h2>Yes Bank Crisis (2020) – ₹3,788 Crore </h2>Yes Bank, under its founder <keyword id="19899935" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rana-kapoor" source="keywords">Rana Kapoor</keyword>, was involved in questionable lending practices. The bank made high-risk loans to companies already in financial trouble, which eventually turned into non-performing assets (NPAs). Kapoor was arrested, and the Reserve Bank of India had to step in to stabilise the bank. The case highlighted serious lapses in corporate governance and risk management. As of now, Rana Kapoor is facing trial, and legal proceedings are active. The RBI has also introduced new measures to monitor the health of banks more rigorously. <h2>Commonwealth Games Scam (2010) – ₹70,000 Crore </h2>The 2010 Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi were overshadowed by corruption allegations involving inflated contracts and kickbacks. <keyword id="23122398" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="suresh-kalmadi" source="keywords">Suresh Kalmadi</keyword>, the head of the organising committee, was arrested for awarding contracts at exorbitant rates. The estimated loss to the exchequer was around ₹70,000 crore. This scam tarnished India’s image on the global stage. Kalmadi was arrested but the case has not resulted in major convictions or recoveries, except for stricter oversight on large public projects and international event planning. These scams not only caused financial damage but also eroded public trust in India’s institutions. In response, India has tightened regulatory frameworks, improved corporate governance, and adopted stricter banking standards, although challenges persist in tackling large-scale fraud. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112896255" title="I was scammed out of $300K in a 3-month-long government impersonation scam" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

10 financial scams that shook India: A dive into deception

<ul><li><keyword id="128682" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="netflix" source="Orion">Netflix</keyword> enters into a longer partnership with Hansal Mehta for more web series like the Scoop.</li><li>Netflix will be engaged in the entire creative process from scripting to marketing and distribution.</li><li>Netflix has had a successful year across series and films with titles such as Khakee - The Bihar Chapter, Rana Naidu, Class, Mission Majnu, Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, Kathal among others.</li></ul>After the runaway success of Scoop, a web series based on the life of a crime journalist, Netflix has announced a multi-year series partnership with filmmaker Hansal Mehta. Scoop was Mehta’s maiden series on the streaming platform which was inspired by a court case involving journalist Jigna Vora, who was accused of allegedly conspiring with gangster Chota Rajan in the murder of another prominent journalist in 2011. Taking this collaboration forward, Hansal will create multiple series for Netflix in the coming years. Scoop has been called a genre-defining series inspired by crime reporter Jigna Vora’s book ‘Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison.’ Audiences and critics alike have been captivated by the deeply layered characters and compelling storylines, hailing it as one of the most binge-worthy series of the year. Mehta is a National Award winning director instrumental in delivering many critically acclaimed films and series including Aligarh, Shahid, Citylights and Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story. “As a filmmaker, the idea of creating diverse and dynamic stories constantly keeps me on my toes. What excites me about this partnership with Netflix, which is home to some of the finest talent, is the potential for my work to reach viewers across the world. As was the case with Scoop, Netflix is engaged in the creative process right from scripting, all the way to marketing and distribution which is critical for the success of any creative collaboration. This long-term partnership with them is only going to empower me to dive into a variety of undiscovered stories,” he said. Over the years, docuseries and stories based on real life scams and personalities have captured the imaging of viewers. Another such series by Netflix was Bad Boy Billionaires: India, which documents the major financial scams that rocked India. These included some very colourful personalities like liquor baron <keyword id="14678" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vijay-mallya" source="Orion">Vijay Mallya</keyword>, diamantaire Nirav Modi and Subrata Roy. According to Netflix, the investigative docu series explored the greed, fraud and corruption that built up — and ultimately brought down — India’s most infamous tycoons. Monika Shergill, Vice President - Content, Netflix India, said “Hansal is a master of his craft and has an eye for spotting stories that have a broad appeal and are relevant to a wide audience. Being a nuanced storyteller, he is able to tell these stories like no other. Scoop marks yet another success for our series line-up this year, and with this partnership we look forward to never before seen stories that audiences will love.” Netflix has had a successful year across series and films with titles such as Khakee - The Bihar Chapter, Rana Naidu, Class, Mission Majnu, Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, Kathal and more.

Netflix taps Hansal Mehta for multi-year partnership following success of ‘Scoop’

Vijay Mallya, Subrata Roy, Nirav Modi, and Ramalinga Raju— these are the four Bad Boy Billionaires of India

A special court here on Thursday declared diamond businessman <keyword id="571991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirav-Modi">Nirav Modi</keyword>, the key accused in the USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, a fugitive economic offender, on a plea of the Enforcement Directorate. He is the second businessman after liquor tycoon <keyword id="14678" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vijay-Mallya">Vijay Mallya</keyword> to be declared a fugitive economic offender under provisions of the Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO) Act which came into existence in August last year. Special PMLA court Judge V C Barde declared Nirav Modi a fugitive economic offender after hearing extensive arguments of lawyers of the diamantaire and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Nirav Modi had earlier urged the court here to set aside the ED's plea to declare him an FEO. Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are the main accused in the <keyword id="6242396" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="PNB-scam">PNB scam</keyword> and they both left India before details of the fraud came to light in January 2018. Nirav Modi was arrested in London in March this year and his extradition process is pending. In July 2018, the central agency filed an application under the newly-promulgated FEO Act to declare him a fugitive economic offender. His lawyer earlier claimed that the ED was relying on evidence and statements recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) Act to seek a remedy under the FEO Act. This was not permissible under the FEO Act, he said. As per the investigating agency, Nirav Modi and his uncle Choksi, in connivance with certain bank officials, allegedly cheated the PNB to the tune of Rs 14,000 crore through issuance of fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs). These LoUs were allegedly issued in a fraudulent manner by a <keyword id="6358070" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="mumbai">Mumbai</keyword> branch of the PNB to the group of companies belonging to Nirav Modi since March 2011, till the case came to light. Under the FEO Act, a person can be declared a fugitive economic offender if a warrant has been issued against him for an offence involving an amount of Rs 100 crore or more and he has left the country and refuses to return.

Nirav Modi declared fugitive economic offender by a Mumbai court

<ul><li>On July 20th, the lower house of India’s <keyword id="6354721" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="parliament">Parliament</keyword> passed the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill. </li><li>The bill allows the government to seize the domestic as well as foreign assets of “economic offenders” who have left the country so their creditors may recover their dues. </li><li>In addition to loan defaults and money laundering, the crimes that fall under the purview of the bill include tax evasion and the use of black money. </li></ul>With the multi-million dollar frauds of Vijay <keyword id="6373968" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="mallya">Mallya</keyword>, Nirav <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword>, Mehul Choksi and Lalit Modi still fresh in the memory, India’s lower house of Parliament has finally passed a bill aimed at preventing wilful defaulters and scamsters from getting away scot free. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, which was discussed and approved in the Lok Sabha on July 20th, follows a Presidential ordinance in April which was used by the Enforcement Directorate to initiate asset confiscation proceedings against Vijay Mallya last month. It was meant to be passed in the Budget Session, but since the session proved to be extremely unproductive, the government had no choice to take the ordinance route in the interest of acting quickly. The bill will now move to the upper house of Parliament for approval before becoming an act, replacing the ordinance in the process. Asset seizures and trials The bill is meant to provide more firepower to the government’s clampdown on white collar crime. It allows the government to seize the domestic as well as foreign assets of “economic offenders” who have left the country so their creditors may recover their dues. In order to be designated an “economic offender”, the government needs to file a motion in a special court as it did on July 11th for Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. While the bill doesn’t enable the government to bring back criminals to the country, the government assumes that the threat of asset confiscation will convince them to come back and stand trial. In addition to loan defaults and money laundering, the crimes that fall under the purview of the bill include tax evasion and the use of black money. The bill cannot come into effect retroactively, meaning that it will only apply to scams that take place after the date of its enactment. However, the government has already used the ordinance to declare the aforementioned scamsters “economic offenders”. The provisions of the bill indicate that the government is mainly interested in the big fish, the scamsters that make headlines. It only applies to cases where the funds laundered or dues total more than ₹1 billion. This was a source of contention, especially amongst opposition parties, which felt that the ₹1 billion threshold would allow a lot of smaller scams to go unresolved. In response, the interim Finance Minister, Piyush Goyal, that the government would tackle smaller cases after resolving big ones.

India takes its first big step towards avoiding future Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya-like scams

(Photo source: IANS) <ul><li><keyword id="14678" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vijay-Mallya">Vijay Mallya</keyword>, an <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>n liquor tycoon and the former boss of Kingfisher Airlines, will be extradited to India by order of a <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> court. </li><li>The allegations leveled against him include fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy. </li><li>He left India in 2016 in the middle of the investigation for the UK, a country where he is also a citizen. </li><li>He now has 14 days to file a appeal against the judgement but Central Bureau of Investigation has stated that they ‘hope to see him soon’. </li></ul>A UK court has approved the extradition of India’s liquor tycoon, Vijay Mallya, to India two years after he left India amid charges of fraud and money laundering. The former boss of the Kingfisher Airlines has 14 days to make an appeal against the judgement. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has released a statement following the order: “We hope to bring him soon and conclude the case. CBI has its own inherent strengths. We worked hard on this case. We are strong on law and facts and we were confident while pursuing extradition process.” The judgement was passed by the Chief Magistrate, Judge Emma Arbuthnot who stated that prima facie (on first impression) there is a case to be made against Mallya for fraud, conspiracy and money laundering. In recent weeks, Mallya has ‘offered’ to pay back what he owes to Indian banks. The allegations against fraud and money laundering amount to an estimated ₹90 billion. He maintains that these charges against him are ‘politically motivated’ and that he has done nothing wrong. According to the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/mallya-extradition-case-arthur-road-jail-keeps-high-security-cell-ready/articleshow/67023180.cms">Economic Times</a>, there is a ‘high-security’ cell kept ready at the Arthur Road prison for Mallya. The same prison housed the 26/11 Mumbai attack terrorist, Mohammad Ajmal Kasab. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/vijay-mallaya-wants-to-pay-back-100-public-money-that-he-embezzled-pleads-for-banks-to-take-it/articleshow/66950116.cms">Vijay Mallya wants to pay back '100% public money' that he embezzled, pleads for banks to take it</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-corporate-fraud-investigation-agency-and-the-ceos-of-state-owned-banks-can-now-directly-prevent-scamsters-from-leaving-the-country/articleshow/66846397.cms">India’s corporate fraud investigation agency and the CEOs of state-owned banks can now directly prevent scamsters from leaving the country</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-takes-its-first-big-step-towards-avoiding-future-nirav-modi-vijay-mallya-like-scams/articleshow/65069668.cms">India takes its first big step towards avoiding future Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya-like scams</a>

Indian liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya to be extradited — CBI ‘hopes to see him soon’

<ul><li>The Ministry of Home Affairs has empowered the <keyword id="107956" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Serious-Fraud-Investigation-Office">Serious Fraud Investigation Office</keyword> (SFIO) to request the issuance of look-out-circulars (<keyword id="6355098" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="LoC">LOC</keyword>) against people who are suspected of defaulting on large loans. </li><li>Last week, the same power was also granted to the CEOs of India’s public-sector banks, which have largely been the major casualties of these frauds and loan defaults. </li><li>Prior to these changes, the ability to request for LOCs was mainly extended to police authorities, the CBI, Enforcement Directorate, the home and external affairs ministries as well as regional passport offices and customs and tax officials. </li></ul>In the wake of a series of high profile banking scams and loan defaults this year, the most notable of which is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/here-are-the-main-findings-from-punjab-national-banks-internal-investigation-into-the-2-billion-nirav-modi-scam/articleshow/64681851.cms">the Nirav Modi case</a>, the Indian government is trying to make it easier to prevent fraudsters from escaping the country and taking up residence elsewhere. To this effect, the Ministry of Home Affairs has empowered the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), which is housed under the corporate affairs ministry, to request the issuance of <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/centre-gives-sfio-powers-to-stop-defaulters-from-fleeing-the-country-5468015/">look-out-circulars </a>(LOC) against people who are suspected of defaulting on large loans. Last week, the same power was also granted to the<a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/lAjlD5SnzGYkS87SyKxVJI/Govt-authorises-public-sector-bank-CEOs-to-request-for-look.html"> CEOs of India’s public-sector banks</a>, which have largely been the major casualties of these frauds and loan defaults. However, as these public-sector banks aren’t official investigation agencies, the LOCs requested by them can be challenged in court. That is not the case with the SFIO. Prior to these changes, the ability to request for LOCs was mainly extended to police authorities, the CBI, Enforcement Directorate, the home and external affairs ministries as well as regional passport offices and customs and tax officials. A major reason why wilful defaulters like <keyword id="14678" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vijay-Mallya">Vijay Mallya</keyword>, <keyword id="571991" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirav-Modi">Nirav Modi</keyword> and Mehul Choksi were able to flee India for safer havens was because the agencies or entities that caught wind of their crimes did not have the authority to prevent them from fleeing and had to follow protocols and notify higher powers with said authority. By the time formal channels of communication were activated, it was too late. This is reportedly what happened in the case of Vijay Mallya, who fled India in March 2016. The CBI actually <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/cbi-ignored-immigration-alert-on-mallya-leaving-india-on-march-2/story-hW83mkAc6qVe14VyFVOIFJ.html">watered-down the LOC</a> it had filed against the liquor baron in October 2015 from “detain” to “inform” after citing a lack of evidence and Mallya’s supposed intention to cooperate, which eventually allowed him to leave the country. The CBI had actually taken over the case from the SFIO, which had been looking into the diversion of funds at Mallya’s companies in September 2015. By broadening the number of stakeholders that can ask for the arrest of a <keyword id="2168141" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wilful-defaulter">wilful defaulter</keyword>, the move could decrease the chances of this happening again in the future, especially in instances where investigations by the police and CBI are hamstrung by “conflicts of interest” or they don’t follow through with arrests. A few months ago, the central government also passed the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-takes-its-first-big-step-towards-avoiding-future-nirav-modi-vijay-mallya-like-scams/articleshow/65069668.cms">Fugitive Economic Offenders Act</a>. The law allows the Enforcement Directorate to seize the domestic as well as foreign assets of “economic offenders” who have left the country so their creditors may recover their dues. The crimes involve amounts of ₹1 billion or more. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-takes-its-first-big-step-towards-avoiding-future-nirav-modi-vijay-mallya-like-scams/articleshow/65069668.cms">India takes its first big step towards avoiding future Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya-like scams</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/here-are-the-main-findings-from-punjab-national-banks-internal-investigation-into-the-2-billion-nirav-modi-scam/articleshow/64681851.cms">Here are the main findings from Punjab National Bank’s internal investigation into the $2 billion Nirav Modi scam</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/liquor-baron-vijay-mallya-will-be-the-first-to-be-tried-under-indias-new-fugitive-economic-offenders-ordinance/articleshow/64635569.cms">Liquor baron Vijay Mallya will be the first to be tried under India’s new Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance</a>

India’s corporate fraud investigation agency and the CEOs of state-owned banks can now directly prevent scamsters from leaving the country

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/53046544.cms" /> <keyword id="6354731" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="State-Bank-Of-India">State Bank of India</keyword> (<keyword id="13222" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="SBI">SBI</keyword>) has offered to have a one-time settlement of the Kingfisher Airlines loan issue with India’s former liquor baron Vijay Mallya. However, the bank would like him to agree that he would repay the outstanding principal amount along with some interest and legal fees. 
 
To this, Mallya has put some conditions which are said to unacceptable to the bank, as said by SBI chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya. 
 
Bhattacharya told a parliamentary panel, set up for scrutinizing amendments to debt recovery laws, that in the past, SBI has aggressively tackled the matter and is now open to reaching one-time settlements, only if he offers to repay the principal along with a reasonable amount of interest. 
 
However, she said that while Mallya had expressed his willingness to have a settlement, he had laid down some of his conditions which were not acceptable to the country’s largest bank, which led the consortium of PSBs that had approached the court for an order against Mallya. 
 
However, when contacted by <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/banking/finance/banking/sbi-willing-to-settle-kingfisher-loan-issue-with-vijay-mallya/articleshow/53041063.cms">TNN</a>, Bhattacharya said, "Parliamentary committee proceedings are privileged communications and I cannot comment or communicate on the same." 
 
<a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/4161714/images/o-VIJAY-MALLYA-facebook.jpg">Image source</a>

SBI offers one-time settlement of Kingfisher loans but Mallya has some conditions

<ul><li>The scandal that led to Chawla’s extradition is 20 years old, an era before IPL began and one-day matches were the rage. </li><li>Chawla is central to the bookie-cricketer nexus and his extradition will pull the lid of many hidden secrets of retired cricketers. </li><li>The case was unraveled by a phone tapping cell in Delhi by an inspector who was keeping a tab on extortionists. </li></ul> Indians have been waiting with bated breath for its famous financial fugitive Vijay Mallya to come home. Instead, an Air India flight brought back another fugitive – a match fixer <keyword id="836059" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sanjeev-Chawla">Sanjeev Chawla</keyword>. For a cricket crazy nation, Chawla is as much a villain as a businessman who refuses to pay his dues. The scandal itself however is 20 years old, an era before IPL began and one-day matches were the rage. It was also the time when mobile phones had expensive incoming calls and more. It is these conversations that had netted Chawla, who runs a restaurant and garments shop in Oxford and lives in a 6-bedroom home, back to Tihar jail. Chawla is central to the bookie-cricketer nexus and his extradition will pull the lid of many hidden secrets of retired cricketers. But, it might also bring other ‘restaurateurs’, ‘gym owners’ and ‘diamond merchants’ who are hand in glove in the deep-running racket. From the anti-extortion cell of Delhi Like all great crime stories of the times, Chawla’s case was unraveled by a phone tapping cell in Delhi. An inspector <keyword id="8772251" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ishawar-singh">Ishawar Singh</keyword> was given the task of keeping a tab on extortionists bothering the then-top executives of Apollo Tyres. But in the exhaustive list, Singh found that some of the numbers matched similar calls that <keyword id="281" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kishan-Kumar">Kishan Kumar</keyword>, a failed Bollywood actor and the brother of T-Series head <keyword id="17091" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="gulshan-kumar">Gulshan Kumar</keyword>, who was shot by Mumbai mafia, according to a detailed report on the<a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20000424-cricket-match-fixing-an-inside-look-at-how-deals-are-struck-and-the-one-involving-cronje-777412-2000-04-24#ssologin=1"> scandal by India Today</a>. Singh saw that two numbers that calling Kishan were keeping in touch regularly and the conversations got longer and frequent during the South Africa and India cricket series. One of them was a London-based garment owner Chawla and the other was an illegal bookmaker masquerading as a printing press owner, Rajesh Kalra. <div type="image" title="sanjeev chawla 1" msid="74115096" hostid="261"></div>

 Cronje complained of payment delays Thus began the conversations that sent ripples across the world. The now-deceased <keyword id="138175" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hansie-Cronje">Hansie Cronje</keyword> who was then the captain of South Africa - made deals, complained of payment delays and made ‘assurances’ of his teammates’ scores. And then, there were conversations between Chawla and Kalra who fought about a ‘match script’. Cronje later also confessed and quit but before he could turn into a valuable witness, he was killed in a passenger airline crash in 2002. But the tapes were more than enough. There were smart conversations and ‘hints’ that Delhi police duly decoded. Both Chawla and Cronje called a Lajpat Nagar number on the same day, which was picked up too. These revelations came as a shocker to cricket fans but also answered nagging doubts on why a batsman missed that ‘obvious’ run or why a fielder left an easy catch. Chawla was arrested in 2001 by the Scotland Yard but was released due to insufficient evidence. Another charge sheet was filed in 2013 by Delhi police who trumped the London police with their Sherlock Holmes-like attention to detail. The long-standing battle has now brought the criminal home. It could also help police join the dots with 90% of the bookies who have left the country in<a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/sport/story/20000710-cricket-match-fixing-delhi-businessman-rattan-mehta-tops-cbis-bookies-suspect-list-779038-2000-07-10#ssologin=1"> a huff soon after</a> – to Miami and many other locales not to mention the many in Greater Kailash and Vasant Vihar of Delhi.

Sanjeev Chawla, the man behind the Hansie Cronje match fixing scandal, who opened a dark door of scams in cricket crazy India

<ul><li>A Hyderabad civil court passed the stay order on a petition filed by Raju, who was released on bail in 2018. He sought orders to restrain <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword> from releasing the web series on the ground that it would invade his privacy in an unlawful manner.</li><li>Raju also claimed that the narrative contained half-truths and palpably designed to bring down his reputation.</li><li>Netflix released the trailer of the web series which is about Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Subrata Roy and <keyword id="41263" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ramalinga-Raju">Ramalinga Raju</keyword>.</li></ul> A court in Hyderabad on Tuesday restrained Netflix from releasing web series "<keyword id="9827211" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bad-boy-billionaires">Bad Boy Billionaires</keyword>: India" on the life story of Satyam Computer Services founder B. Ramalinga Raju who was convicted in Satyam scam and three others. A Hyderabad civil court passed the stay order on a petition filed by Raju, who was released on bail in 2018. He sought orders to restrain Netflix from releasing the web series on the ground that it would invade his privacy in an unlawful manner. Raju also claimed that the narrative contained half-truths and palpably designed to bring down his reputation. Netflix has already released the trailer of the web series which is about Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Subrata Roy and Ramalinga Raju. "What would you do to make it to the top? To build an empire? To maintain an image? Bad Boy Billionaires answers just that. Dive into the stories of India's most infamous billionaires - Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Subrata Roy, and Byrraju Ramalinga Raju as they plan, plot and maneuver through their rises and falls. Watch as insiders and experts discuss what made these men genius and, in some cases, the greatest conmen," reads the description by Netflix. A court in Bihar had last week restrained Netflix from using Subrata Roy's name in the web series. The over Rs 7,000 crore Satyam scam came to light on January 7, 2009 when Ramalinga Raju confessed that the company's account books and profits were inflated over many years to the tune of several crores of rupees. Police arrested him two days later on a complaint by some shareholders. The CBI filed three charge sheets against Raju and the other accused, charging them with cheating, criminal conspiracy, forgery, falsification of accounts and breach of trust. A special CBI court in April 2015 had sentenced him, his two brothers and seven others to seven years in prison in the case, said to be India's biggest corporate fraud. However, a month later, the metropolitan sessions court suspended their sentence and granted them bail. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/icj-raises-concern-on-sc-decision-in-bhushan-case-says-its-inconsistent-with-international-standards/articleshow/77885669.cms">ICJ raises concern on SC decision in Bhushan case — says it’s inconsistent with international standards</a>

Hyderabad Court stays release of Netflix's Bad Boy Billionaires: India following Ramalinga Raju's objections

<keyword id="571991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirav-Modi">Nirav Modi</keyword>, wanted in connection with the estimated USD 2-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case, was further remanded in custody on Tuesday by a court in London hearing India's extradition request for the diamond merchant The 49-year-old appeared on Tuesday via videolink from Wandsworth Prison in south-west London, dressed in a maroon sweater and sporting a full beard, for his regular 28-day "call-over hearing" at Westminster Magistrates' Court, where Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot extended his remand for another 28 days until December 29. "It will be another short videolink call-over hearing and then there is just over a week before closing submissions in the case," she told Modi, who spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth. The final hearings in the extradition case are scheduled over two days, on January 7 and 8 next year, when District Judge Samuel Goozee is scheduled to hear closing arguments from both sides before he hands down his judgment a few weeks later. At the last hearing in the case on November 3, Judge Goozee heard the arguments for and against the admissibility of certain witness statements provided by <keyword id="443588" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Central-Bureau-of-Investigation">the Central Bureau of Investigation</keyword> (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) and ruled that the evidence to establish a prima facie case of fraud and <keyword id="6355008" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Money-laundering">money laundering</keyword> against the fugitive <keyword id="1105425" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diamantaire">diamantaire</keyword> is broadly admissible. He concluded that he considered himself "bound" by the previous UK court rulings in the extradition case of former Kingfisher Airlines chief Vijay Mallya. <keyword id="9347723" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-crown-prosecution-service">The Crown Prosecution Service</keyword> (CPS), arguing on behalf of the Indian authorities, had stressed that the evidence, including witness statements under Section 161 of the Indian Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), meets the required threshold for the UK court to determine whether Modi has a case to answer before the Indian judicial system. "The argument that this is a very specific case, distinguishable from Mallya is frankly nonsense," said CPS barrister Helen Malcolm. That Mallya has a case to answer in India in his fraud and money laundering case has cleared various levels of the UK judicial system and is currently undergoing a "confidential" legal issue before UK Home Secretary Priti Patel can consider signing off on his extradition. Modi's barrister, Clare Montgomery, who was also the defence counsel in Mallya's case, however, disputed that the Section 161 witness statements qualify as similar. "The government of India case is not as strong as it was in Mallya," said Montgomery, as she also raised a specific issue over a witness who was said to speak no English in his testimony for the CBI but signed a statement in English for the ED. Modi is the subject of two sets of criminal proceedings, with the CBI case relating to a large-scale fraud upon PNB through the fraudulent obtaining of "Letters of Understanding" (LOUs or loan agreements), and the ED case relating to the laundering of the proceeds of that fraud. He also faces two additional charges of "causing the disappearance of evidence" and intimidating witnesses or "criminal intimidation to cause death" added to the CBI case. The jeweller has been in prison since he was arrested on March 19, 2019, on an extradition warrant executed by Scotland Yard and his attempts at seeking bail have been repeatedly turned down. The charges against him centre around his firms Diamonds R Us, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamonds making fraudulent use of a credit facility offered by PNB or LoUs. The CPS, on behalf of India, have told the court during the course of two separate set of hearings in May and September that a number of PNB staff conspired with Modi to ensure the LoUs were issued to his companies without ensuring they were subject to the required credit check, without recording the issuance of the LoUs and without charging the required commission upon the transactions. Modi's defence team has sought to counter allegations of fraud by deposing witnesses to establish the volatility of the gems and jewellery trade and that the LoUs were standard practice. His severe depression has also been raised as part of the arguments against extradition. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/kunal-shah-cred-raises-80-million-valuation-doubles-to-800-million-for-the-just-two-year-old-startup/articleshow/79502864.cms">Kunal Shah’s CRED raises $80 million – valuation doubles to $800 million for the just two-year old startup</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/new-technology-to-create-fuel-and-oxygen-on-mars-could-help-humans-explore-the-deep-sea-here-on-earth/articleshow/79504876.cms">New technology to create fuel and oxygen on Mars could help humans explore the deep sea here on Earth</a>

Nirav Modi's remand extended in UK, final hearings in 2021

Indian banks have technically written off a staggering amount of Rs 68,607 crore due from 50 top wilful defaulters, including absconding diamantaire Mehul Choksi, according to a reply under RTI from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Prominent RTI activist Saket Gokhale had filed an RTI query with the RBI seeking details of the 50 top wilful defaulters and their current loan status till February 16. "I filed this RTI because Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur had refused to reply to this starred question asked in the Parliament by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in the last Budget Session on February 16," Gokhale told IANS. Disclosing what the government didn't, the RBI's Central Public Information Officer <keyword id="135505" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Abhay-Kumar">Abhay Kumar</keyword> provided the replies on Saturday (April 24), with several startling revelations in the 'diamond-studded list', said Gokhale. The RBI said that this amount (Rs 68,607 crore) comprising outstanding and the amounts technically/prudentially written off till September 30, 2019. An inadvertent error had crept in a previous version of the report, which has now been now corrected. "The apex bank also declined to provide the relevant information on overseas borrowers citing a Supreme Court judgement of December 16, 2015," Gokhale told IANS. Topping the list is Choksi's scam-hit company, Gitanjali Gems Limited, which owed Rs.5,492 crore, besides other group companies, Gili India Ltd and Nakshatra Brands Ltd, which had taken loans of Rs 1,447 crore and Rs 1,109 crore, respectively. Choksi is currently a citizen of Antigua &amp; Barbados Isles, while his nephew and another absconder diamond trader <keyword id="740578" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirav">Nirav</keyword> Modi is in London. The second in the list is REI Agro Ltd., with an amount of Rs 4,314 crore, and its directors <keyword id="9131601" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="sandip-jhujhunwala">Sandip Jhujhunwala</keyword> and <keyword id="984138" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sanjay-Jhunjhunwala">Sanjay Jhunjhunwala</keyword> who are already under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) since over a year. The next on the list in the Rs 4,000-crore bracket is absconding diamantaire Jatin Mehta's Winsome Diamonds &amp; Jewellery owing Rs 4,076 crore and which is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation for various bank frands. In the Rs 2,000-crore category, there is the Kanpur-based writing instruments giant, Rotomac Global Pvt. Ltd., part of the famed Kothari group, which owed Rs 2,850 crore. The others in this category include: Kudos Chemie, Punjab (Rs.2,326 crore), Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna's group company Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd., Indore (Rs.2,212 crore), and <keyword id="265518" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zoom-Developers">Zoom Developers</keyword> Pvt. Ltd., Gwalior (Rs.2,012 crore). There are 18 companies in the Rs.1K-segment with some prominent names like Harish R. Mehta's Ahmedabad-based Forever Precious Jewellery &amp; Diamonds Pvt. Ltd. (Rs.,1962 crore), and absconder liquor baron Vijay Mallya's defunct <keyword id="6373962" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="kingfisher-airlines">Kingfisher Airlines</keyword> Ltd. (Rs 1,943 crore). Another 25 companies fall in the sub-1K-crore category with outstandings ranging from Rs 605 crore to Rs 984 crore, either individually or as group companies. Six among the 50 top wilful defaulters are connected with the glittering diamond and/or gold jewellery industries. "A majority of them have defaulted prominent nationalist banks over the past several years and many of them are either absconding or facing action by various probe agencies and some are under litigation," Gokhale said. No industry is sacrosanct as the top 50 willful defaulters are spread across various sectors of the economy including IT, infrastructure, power, gold-diamond jewellery, pharma, etc. --IANS qn/in/arm

Indian banks might never recover ₹68,607 crore of bad loans says RTI data

<ul><li>Last week, Interpol’s bureau in Manchester asked the CBI to issue an <keyword id="82903" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="extradition">extradition</keyword> request and provisional arrest warrant for Modi, who is currently living in the UK. </li><li>The extradition request paves the way for Modi’s immediate arrest and presentation before a court. </li><li>Meanwhile, Modi’s fellow conspirator in the case, <keyword id="2763" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mehul-Choksi">Mehul Choksi</keyword> has taken up citizenship of Antigua. An application for his international arrest warrant is still pending with Interpol. </li></ul>Ever since the $2 billion <keyword id="38935" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fraud">fraud</keyword> case at <keyword id="62034" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Punjab-National-Bank">Punjab National Bank</keyword> came to light in February 2018, the protagonist behind the scam, <keyword id="571991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirav-Modi">Nirav Modi</keyword>, has remained a free man. Following a request to Interpol from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to issue a red corner notice, or an international arrest warrant, against him, the absconding billionaire was reported to be seen in Brussels in June. Like fellow wilful defaulter Vijay Mallya, Modi was subsequently confirmed to be living in the UK, where he has reportedly applied for political asylum. And now, it looks like he could soon be arrested, even as early as this week, according to a report by the Indian Express. Last week, Interpol’s bureau in Manchester asked the CBI to issue an extradition request and provisional warrant for Modi’s arrest. A spokesperson for the CBI, Abhishek Dayal, confirmed to news outlets that the extradition request was sent yesterday to authorities in the UK via the Ministry of External Affairs. The extradition request paves the way for Modi to be immediately arrested in the UK and eventually stand before a court. Earlier this month, India’s Enforcement Directorate, a federal agency tasked with fighting economic crimes, also sent an arrest warrant and extradition request to UK authorities in relation to the Nirav Modi scam. Modi is not the only person of interest in the case. The CBI has also filed chargesheets against his fellow conspirator, Mehul Choksi - whose also his uncle, as well as his wife, Ami Modi and son, Nishal. All left India in January, shortly before the scam was revealed. Despite the revocation of his passport, Modi was believed to be travelling on a passport issued by Singapore. Meanwhile, Choksi is said to have taken up citizenship of Antigua, an island in the Caribbean. A request for his extradition was handed over to officials in Antigua and Barbuda at the beginning of August. However, given the absence of a extradition treaty between India and Antigua, the only way for Indian authorities to extradite Choksi is to get Interpol to issue a red corner notice against him. The application for Choksi’s international arrest warrant is reported to be still pending with Interpol. Separately, on August 20th, a special CBI court granted bail to Usha Ananthasubramanian, who was the managing director and CEO of Punjab National Bank when the scam took place. Prior to the fraud case coming to light, Ananthasubramanian was the MD and CEO of Allahabad Bank, a role which she was eventually forced to relinquish. She was named in a chargesheet for failing to properly prevent the fraudulent letters of undertaking from being issued by the bank.

Billionaire fugitive Nirav Modi could be arrested in the UK as soon as this week

<ul><li><keyword id="344501" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rakesh-Asthana">Rakesh Asthana</keyword>, the special director of the <keyword id="6354889" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="central-bureau-of-investigation">Central Bureau of Investigation</keyword> (<keyword id="6354572" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="CBI">CBI</keyword>), made a <keyword id="1472146" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="deposition">deposition</keyword> to the Cabinet Secretary last week about the rift between him and <keyword id="276608" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Alok-Verma">Alok Verma</keyword>, the director of the agency. </li><li>Verma opposed Asthana’s appointment to the No.2 position at the CBI over concerns that he was a person of interest in an investigation into the money laundering practices of Sterling Biotech. </li><li>The rift reached breaking point last month when Verma, who was overseas, declined to give Asthana the power to represent him at a meeting of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).</li></ul>Last week, the conflict between Alok Verma, the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>’s main investigation agency, and his deputy, special director Rakesh Asthana, escalated yet again. The latter was instructed to inform <keyword id="1706029" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pradeep-Kumar-Sinha">Pradeep Kumar Sinha</keyword>, the Cabinet Secretary, of the details of the rift and the progress of certain cases. The official deposition, which followed an order from the Prime Minister’s Office, came amid complaints that the rift between the two was holding up the CBI’s investigation of a number of politically sensitive cases such as the Vijay Mallya wilful defaulter case and the 2G spectrum allocation issue. But what exactly are the reasons for this rift? The primary reason has to do with the appointment of Asthana, a former IPS officer from Gujarat, as the agency’s special director in October 2017. A petition was filed by Common Cause, an NGO, against the appointment, citing his close relations with a firm, Sterling Biotech Ltd, that was the subject of an investigation by the Income Tax Department and CBI for money laundering. Asthana was said to be a person of interest in the case, with suspicion that he had received bribes from the company. However, the Supreme Court subsequently cleared Asthana’s appointment the following month. It bears mentioning that the central government had also defended Asthana’s appointment, given his track record of heading up a number of important <keyword id="72743" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="investigations">investigations</keyword> such as the Godhra riots issue and the AgustaWestland scam. Verma was said to be opposed to Asthana’s appointment, and had reportedly raised objections about the same issue. Concurrently, Asthana was gradually stripped of his responsibility in leading a number of important investigations. However, he made his voice heard on a number of issues, and opposed Verma’s appointment of two senior officials - RP Upadhyay and Rajeev Krishna- who were subsequently disqualified in May by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) , a government body to address corruption and vet appointments to the CBI. The rift reached breaking point last month. Given that Verma was on a work trip overseas, he missed a meeting of the CVC on July 12th. However, straying from protocol, he did not give Asthana the power to represent him. The meeting was for the induction of certain IPS officers to replace the officials that had been removed from consideration against Verma’s wishes. The CBI told the CVC that Asthana did not have the power to represent Verma since he was under investigation. Now what? The Cabinet Secretary is expected to mediate the conflict. Asthana is said to be a favourite of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, so it seems likely that he will maintain his position at the CBI. At this point, the institutional integrity of the agency has already been compromised. The government will try and prevent the rift from getting further out of hand and hope for a speedy resolution. A number of cases are in the process of being investigated, and given that this is an election year, the resolution of at least a few of them will be necessary.

You Searched For "vijay mallya scam" and got 14 results

10 financial scams that shook India: A dive into deception

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Vijay Mallya, Subrata Roy, Nirav Modi, and Ramalinga Raju— these are the four Bad Boy Billionaires of India

Navdeep Yadav

Nirav Modi declared fugitive economic offender by a Mumbai court

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India takes its first big step towards avoiding future Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya-like scams

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Indian liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya to be extradited — CBI ‘hopes to see him soon’

Prabhjote Gill

India’s corporate fraud investigation agency and the CEOs of state-owned banks can now directly prevent scamsters from leaving the country

Dilsher Dhillon

SBI offers one-time settlement of Kingfisher loans but Mallya has some conditions

BI India Bureau

Sanjeev Chawla, the man behind the Hansie Cronje match fixing scandal, who opened a dark door of scams in cricket crazy India

Katya Naidu

Hyderabad Court stays release of Netflix's Bad Boy Billionaires: India following Ramalinga Raju's objections

IANS

Nirav Modi's remand extended in UK, final hearings in 2021

PTI

Indian banks might never recover ₹68,607 crore of bad loans says RTI data

IANS

Billionaire fugitive Nirav Modi could be arrested in the UK as soon as this week

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Here’s why the top two officials of India’s main investigative agency are fighting with each other

Dilsher Dhillon