Deepak Kochhar, arrested by ED in ICICI Bank loan scam, tests positive for COVID-19

Deepak Kochhar, husband of former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar, was arrested last week for alleged money laundering in a deal between the private lender and Videocon Group

Businessman Deepak Kochhar, who has been arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the ICICI Bank kickback for loan scam, has tested positive for COVID-19. Kochhar, who is asymptomatic, has been admitted to AIIMS, Delhi.

The ED officials who questioned Deepak Kochhar and his lawyer have also decided to quarantine themselves.

Deepak Kochhar, husband of former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar, was arrested last week for alleged money laundering in a deal between the private lender and Videocon Group. He was remanded to ED custody till September 19 and was recently brought to Delhi from Mumbai by a team of the enforcement agency. He recently met his lawyer Vijay Aggarwal in Delhi following court directions.

The Mumbai court, which sent Deepak Kochhar to ED custody, had allowed the businessman to meet with his lawyer in matter related to the case.

The money-laundering case was registered in January last year against the businessman, his wife, Chanda Kochhar, Videocon Group MD Venugopal Dhoot and others over allegations of irregularities in loans extended by ICICI Bank to Dhoot-led Videocon Group when Chanda was at the helm of the bank. The ED had registered the money laundering case against the Kochhars on the basis of a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Kochhars came under probe agencies' lens in October 2016 after whistleblower Arvind Gupta, an investor in both ICICI Bank and Videocon Group, raised concerns about alleged loan irregularities. He had raised concerned over the Rs 3,250 crore plus Rs 660 crore loans and alleged quid pro quo in the form of an identical 10 per cent foreign funding (Rs 325 crore and Rs 66 crore) in Kochhar's husband Deepak Kochhar's company NuPower Renewables.

Also Read: Deepak Kochhar arrested: 10 reasons why ex-ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar's husband is behind bars

Also Read: ICICI Bank-Videocon case: ED arrests Deepak Kochhar on money laundering charges

Also Read: ICICI Bank-Videocon case: Chanda Kochhar's husband Deepak Kochhar sent to ED custody till Sept 19