PNB fraud: Finance Ministry initiates action against Allahabad Bank CEO
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) The Finance Ministry on Monday started the process of removing Allahabad Bank CEO and MD Usha Ananthasubramanian from her post after the CBI filed a chargesheet detailing her alleged role in the over Rs 13,000-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam.
Ananthasubramanian, who was the MD and CEO of PNB from August 2015 to May 2017, was quizzed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in February in connection with the case. On Monday, CBI filed the chargesheet in the case mentioning her role.
A Finance Ministry official told IANS that the Department of Financial Services (DFS) had asked the government representative in the Allahabad Bank to come up with a proposal before the board to strip Ananthasubramanian of her powers.
He said that the board would take the final call on the proposal.
The official added that similar action was also intiated against two Executive Directors of the PNB.
"DFS has started action for removing and dismissing the accused officials. The departmental inquiry will continue against them separately," he said.
Earlier, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Ananthasubramanian and 21 others, including 11 bank officials, over the PNB fraud case allegedly perpetrated by diamantire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi.
The agency has also named PNB Executive Directors K.V. Brahmaji Rao and Sanjiv Sharan, and General Manager (International Operations) Nehal Ahad in its chargesheet filed before a special CBI court here.
So far, 19 people have been arrested in the case while Modi and Choksi are on the run.
--IANS
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