ED grills Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor over money laundering charges

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday (March 7) afternoon took Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor to its office in Mumbai’s Ballard Estate area for questioning in connection with a money laundering probe against him and others. He was interrogated at his house on Friday night as well.

This came two days after the Reserve Bank of India imposed a moratorium on crisis-ridden Yes Bank, capping withdrawals at ₹50,000 per account and superseded the board of the private sector lender with immediate effect.

The agency had searched Rana’s residence in the upscale ‘Samudra Mahal’ complex in the Worli area on Friday night and had grilled him there too. The questioning of Kapoor is continuing, officials said.

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The case against Kapoor is linked to the scam-hit DHFL as the loans lent by the bank to the company allegedly turned non-performing assets (NPAs), they said. Action against Kapoor is being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the ED.

The central agency is also probing Kapoor’s role in connection with the disbursal of loans to some corporate entities and the subsequent alleged kickbacks reportedly received in his wife’s accounts.

Other alleged irregularities are also under the agency’s scanner, including the one related to the alleged PF fraud in the Uttar Pradesh power corporation, they added.

The CBI has recently taken over investigation into the ₹2,267-crore Employees’ Provident Fund fraud in Uttar Pradesh, where hard-earned savings of power sector employees were invested in Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL).

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The ED action came after the Reserve Bank on Thursday imposed a moratorium on the capital-starved Yes Bank, capping withdrawals at ₹50,000 per account and superseded the board of the private sector lender with immediate effect.

Yes Bank will not be able to grant or renew any loan or advance, make any investment, incur any liability or agree to disburse any payment.

As per the RBI’s draft reconstruction scheme, State Bank of India will pick up 49 per cent stake in the crisis-ridden Yes Bank under a government-approved bailout plan.

(With inputs from agencies)