Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 5: Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday in connection with a massive Rs 17,000 crore bank loan fraud and money laundering investigation involving several of his group companies.

During the interrogation, which was reportedly recorded on camera, Ambani was not permitted to have legal counsel present. He was expected to be questioned on whether loans were diverted to shell companies, if any funds reached political parties, and whether bribes were paid to officials.

Earlier in the day, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Reliance Group left his residence and arrived at the ED headquarters in the national capital. Investigators are examining whether loans taken by his companies over the past decade were used for their stated purposes or deliberately misused.

The case involves multiple Reliance Group firms, including Reliance Infrastructure and Reliance Communications. One segment of the probe focuses on the alleged diversion of approximately Rs 3,000 crore in loans given by Yes Bank between 2017 and 2019. Another, larger portion of the investigation concerns a suspected fraud of over Rs 14,000 crore related to Reliance Communications.

Last week, the ED conducted raids at several locations linked to Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group in Mumbai and Delhi. A significant amount of material was seized, including documents, hard drives, and other digital records. The raids were launched as part of the broader money laundering investigation tied to the Yes Bank loan case.

The ED, in coordination with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), is exploring allegations of fund diversion, financial irregularities, and laundering activities. According to officials, the primary focus is on whether the borrowed funds were routed through shell entities and misused.

Simultaneously, the CBI has initiated its own investigation into other companies under Anil Ambani’s group, further widening the scope of scrutiny into one of India’s most high-profile corporate cases.