Yes Bank scam: CBI searches 7 locations in Mumbai; Rana Kapoor’s family named as accused

The CBI carried out searches at seven locations on Monday in connection with the Yes Bank scam case pertaining to the ₹600 crore alleged bribe to the family of its co-founder Rana Kapoor by DHFL, officials said.

The CBI has named in the FIR five companies, seven individuals, including Kapoor’s wife and three daughters, and unidentified people.

Besides Rana Kapoor, the agency has booked his wife Bindu, daughters Roshini, Raakhe and Radha.

Kapil Wadhawan, promoter of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited (DHFL) and Dheeraj Rajesh Kumar Wadhawan, Director of RKW Developers Private Limited, a company linked to DHFL have also been named as accused, the officials said.

Companies DHFL, RKW Developers Private Limited, DoIt Urban Ventures controlled by the Kapoor family, RAB Enterprises (lndia) Private Limited in which Bindu Rana Kapoor was director and Morgan Credits Private Ltd in which Rana Kapoor’s daughters were directors are also named as accused.

Teams of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers are carrying out operations at the residence and official premises of the accused in Mumbai, they said.

The agency has alleged that Kapoor, 62, entered into a criminal conspiracy with Kapil Wadhawan, DHFL director-promoter for round-tripping of funds where loans from Yes Bank to DHFL landed in companies owned by Rana Kapoor’s daughters, DoIT Urban Ventures (India) Pvt Ltd, the officials said.

The agency has alleged that between April and June, 2018, Yes Bank invested ₹3,700 crore in short-term debentures of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL), they said.

Yes Bank also sanctioned a loan of ₹750 crore to RKW Developers Pvt Ltd whose Director is Dheeraj Wadhawan and is a DHFL group company for their Bandra reclamation project, the officials said.

The amount was transferred to by RKW Developers to DHFL without investing anything in the project for which it was sanctioned, they said.

In return for these Yes Bank funds, Wadhawan allegedly invested ₹600 crore in a company of Kapoor’s daughters — DoIt Urban Ventures (India) Pvt Ltd, which the CBI alleges to be a bribe to Kapoor for Yes Bank investments.

DHFL is alleged to have had siphoned off ₹31,000 crore out of total bank loans of ₹97,000 crore using a web of multiple shell companies.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) 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.