By Anand Singh

Mumbai, Aug 14 (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the alleged Rs 3,700 crore Yes Bank fraud case has said that Bindu Kapoor, the wife of Rana Kapoor, was the owner of 16 companies.

The revelations figure in the ED's supplementary chargesheet filed in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mumbai on July 13, naming 11 other accused in the matter.

The ED claimed that Yes Bank Rana Kapoor was the person who handled the affairs of the company and was the final decision making authority.

The ED said that Ajita Podar, who was the Vice President of the DOIT Venture (I) Pvt Ltd, earlier known as DOIT Enterprises (I) Pvt Ltd, a group company of Rana Kapoor, in her statement said that the company was engaged in setting up of offices of group companies, but she was not aware of the actual business initiatives of the company.

The ED in the chargesheet stated that Podar was informed in February-March 2018 by Rana Kapoor's Executive Secretary that the CEO wants him to be made the director of some companies.

"And as an employee, she had no option but to agree," the ED said.

The ED claimed that Podar was made director in 16 companies of Rana Kapoor -- Bliss Agri and Ecotourism Pvt Ltd, Bliss Apartment Mumbai Pvt Ltd, Rab Arts Pvt Ltd, Imagine Habitat Pvt Ltd, Imagine Residence Pvt Ltd, Imagine Estate Pvt Ltd, Imagine Realty Pvt ltd, Imagine Property Pvt Ltd, Imagine Home Pvt Ltd, Bliss Habitat Pvt Ltd, Rab Enterprises India Pvt Ltd, Bliss Home Pvt Ltd, MORGAN Exim Pvt Ltd, Bliss House Pvt Ltd, Bliss Villa (Delhi) Pvt Ltd and Bliss Abode Pvt Ltd.

Podar also told ED that Bindu Kapoor was the another director of these companies and was the owner of these 16 companies.

"Although Bindu Kapoor was the owner of these companies, all the businesses related instructions were given by Rana Kapoor through Lata Dave, Executive Secretary to the then CEO of the Yes Bank, and her one close associate Rutva Oza.

"And on regular intervals she was made to sign several documents given to her by Dave and Oza and on some occasions documents related to these companies were for availing loans from IndiaBulls Finance that for the purpose of signing those documents, she had received email that those documents were proper and she should sign them comfortably," the ED said.

The ED said that it has received copies of the said emails from Podar.

The ED said that Podar also stated that she had never been paid any extra fee/remuneration and never been provided any facility for being the director of 16 companies.

THe ED claimed that Podar never attended any board meeting of the 16 companies and no formal board meeting ever happened. Podar stated that Dave and Oza used to handover her minutes of meetings on regular intervals with instructions to sign them, which she signed on their instructions and handover them to Dave and Oza.

The ED had registered a case of money laundering on March 7 this year based on the Central Bureau of Investigation FIR registered the same day against 12 people, including Kapoor, his wife and daughters, the Wadhawan brothers and five firms.

The Wadhawans were arrested by the CBI from Mahabaleshwar hill station in Maharashtra on April 26 and the ED also arrested them in May.

The ED on July 9 attached Rs 2,203 crore assets, comprising 344 bank accounts, investments and high-end vehicles in India, New York and Australia, of Kapoor and his family, the Wadhawans and others under the PMLA in the Rs 3,700 crore fraud case.