CBI charge-sheets Rotomac promoters in Rs.456.63 crore loan default case

LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI: The CBI has filed its charge sheet against Rotomac Global Pvt. Ltd. and its promoters in connection with the Rs 456.63-crore alleged loan default involving Bank of Baroda, which is part of a total fraud of Rs 3,690 crore towards a consortium of seven banks, officials said.

After a three-month probe, the charge sheet was filed in a special court in Lucknow.

It deals with Rs 456.63 crore loan of Bank of Baroda as the probe into the remaining amount was still continuing, they said, adding that more charge sheets could be filed in the case.

Taking the charge sheet on record, special CBI judge M P Chaudhari fixed May 30 as the next date of hearing.Besides Kanpur-based Rotomac Global Pvt.Ltd, the CBI has also charged its CMD Vikram Kothari, his son and director Rahul Kothari, then AGM of Bank of Baroda S K Upadhyay, then Senior Manager of the bank Om Prakash Kapoor, and then bank manager Shashi Bishwas, they said.

The agency has charged Vikram Kothari and his son, who are in judicial custody, and others with alleged



criminal conspiracy, cheating among others and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The CBI has alleged that the directors of the company diverted loan funds, issued for packing credit, to other purposes.

A consortium of seven nationalised banks has given loans worth Rs 2,919 crore to Rotomac Global Private Limited from 2008 onwards, the CBI FIR has alleged.

The amount swelled to Rs 3,695 crore, including the accrued interest, because of repeated defaults on payment, the officials said.

The CBI has initiated the action on the complaint of Bank of Baroda, which was a member of consortium led by Bank of India, they said.

The principal exposure of the banks regarding the loan is Bank of India Rs 754.77 crore, Bank of Baroda Rs 456.63 crore, Overseas Bank of India Rs 771.07 crore, Union Bank of India Rs 458.95 crore, Allahabad Bank Rs 330.68 crore, Bank of Maharashtra Rs 49.82 crore and Oriental Bank of Commerce Rs 97.47 crore, the agency said.