DHFL Scam: CBI Seizes Paintings, Sculptures Worth Rs 40 Cr

| Updated: 09 July, 2022 12:13 am IST
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NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday said that it carried out searches at two locations in connection with the Rs 34,615 crore bank fraud case involving Kapil and Deehraj Wadhawan and recovered a large number of paintings and sculptures worth Rs 40 crore.

CBI spokesperson RC Joshi said, “The CBI carried out searches at premises of Rebecca Dewan and Ajay Ramesh Nawandar from whose premises the agency recovered a large number of paintings and sculptures, some cash and other incriminating documents.”

He said that the value of these artworks is estimated to be around Rs 40 crore, as per initial estimates.

The official said that the searches were carried out in Mumbai and Dewan Villa in Mahabaleshwar.

The CBI searches came in connection with the ongoing investigation of a case related to bank fraud of Rs 34,615 crore to a consortium of 17 Banks led by Union Bank of India against Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL), its former CMD Kapil Wadhawan, director Dheeraj Wadhawan and others.

The official said that during the investigation, it was found that the promoters had allegedly diverted the funds and made investments in various entities.

He said: “The promoters had acquired expensive paintings and sculptures worth about Rs 55 crore using the diverted funds.”

A case was registered on a complaint from Union Bank of India, alleging that the accused cheated a consortium of 17 banks to the tune of over Rs 34,615 crore by siphoning off loans availed from the said banks and falsifying the books of said borrower company and creating shell companies or false entities, which had come to be known as “Bandra Book Entities”.

In the complaint, it was also alleged that DHFL and its promoters had created a number of shell companies and fictitious entities and siphoned off huge funds by disbursing funds to such fictitious entities.

It was also alleged that separate audits conducted by other private audit accounting organisations had identified multiple instances of diversion of funds by the accused for personal benefits and falsification of books of accounts to camouflage and conceal dubious transactions.

On June 22 this year, the CBI carried out searches at 12 locations in Mumbai at the premises of the accused which led to the recovery of incriminating documents.

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