Saturday, January 22, 2022

FIR against SREI Promoters and Directors

The case relates to an alleged bank fraud.

The Uttar Pradesh police has registered a first information report (FIR) against crisis-ridden SREI Group’s promoters and directors of certain companies for an alleged bank fraud. The FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Bhupendra Nath.

The Jaunpur police station has forwarded the matter to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW). 

The Jaunpur Police has, in the FIR, named 22 directors and promoters of SREI Group under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Hemant Kanoria and Sunil Kanoria, former promoters of SREI Infrastructure Finance are not aware of any such FIR.

The Reserve Bank of India had, on October 4, superseded the board of SREI Infrastructure Finance Ltd (SIFL) and SREI Equipment Finance Limited, owing to governance concerns and defaults by the two companies in meeting their various payment obligations. 

Rajneesh Sharma, Ex- Chief General Manager of Bank of Baroda, was appointed as Administrator of these companies.

FIR Complaint

The complainant, Bhupendra Nath, went to SREI-run Jan Suvidha Kendra for some work, and was duped by the employees of SREI. He found that many criminal activities were being carried out at the Jan Suvidha Kendra, including bank fraud of more than Rs.16,000 cr. 

He reported the fact that at the Jan Suvidha Kendras, money was charged at the whims and fancies of the employees and the amount varied from Rs.1,000 to Rs. 25,000 for the works which are either free or for which a very nominal fee of not more than Rs 100 is charged.

Initially, he filed the police complaint and seeing no effective action he approached the court with 4,000-5,000 pages documentary evidence; upon which the Chief Judicial Magistrate ordered the registration of FIR against the accused persons. 

The 29-pages of the FIR covers detailed methodology as to how the Jan Suvidha Kendras are run and also how the alleged bank fraud to the tune of Rs.16,000 crore was perpetrated through such Kendras.

To be continued

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