Deepak Kochhar withdraws plea against ED FIR in ICICI Bank-Videocon loan case

New Delhi [India], October 14 : Deepak Kochhar, the husband of former ICICI Bank chairperson Chanda Kochhar, on Wednesday decided to withdraw his petition challenging an FIR registered by the Enforcement Directorate against him in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged misappropriations in the ICICI Bank-Videocon loan matter.
A single-judge bench of Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani allowed advocate Vijay Aggarwal, who was appearing for Deepak Kochhar, to withdraw the petition with liberty to raise all contentions in other jurisdictions available.
Advocate Amit Mahajan, representing the ED, opposed the plea and raised questions on the maintainability of the plea due to jurisdiction issue.
Earlier, the court had sought the ED's response on the plea and also asked the ED to file a status report in the matter. The court had granted time to the ED to file a status report on the issue of territorial jurisdiction and medical ground.
Deepak Kochhar, who is currently in judicial custody, was brought to Delhi by the ED for the purpose of questioning. However, he was later admitted to a private hospital here after testing positive for COVID-19.
He had also sought interim bail on the ground of his present medical condition.
The ED had earlier stated that Kochhar is involved in the laundering of the proceeds of crime and has been involved in projecting the proceeds of crime as untainted. It said that he directly attempted to indulge, knowingly assist, is knowingly a party and is actually involved in process or activity connected with the proceeds of crime and projecting it as untainted property.