NEW DELHI/ CHANDIGARH – The Congress on Sunday attacked the Centre for the bank frauds allegedly committed by Gujarat-based ABG Shipyard owned by Rishi Agarwal and others for duping 28 Banks, including State Bank of India.

The party alleged that the delay in the case proves ‘complicity, collusion and connivance of those sitting in the highest echelons of power in the Modi government’.

Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, “India’s Biggest Bank Fraud in 75 years has taken place under Modi Govt’s watch! ‘Bank Frauds’ of Rs 5,35,000 (5.35 lakh) crore in 7 years have wrecked our ‘Banking System’!”

He said India woke up to the rude shock of the biggest ever bank fraud of Rs 22,842 crore in the last 75 years. Post a 5-year delay, dilly-dallying and permitting brazen embezzlement of public money, the CBI has finally registered an FIR on 7th February 2022, against Gujarat-based ABG Shipyard owned by Rishi Agarwal and others for duping 28 Banks, led by State Bank of India.

He alleged that the Modi government is running a “loot & escape” flagship scheme for Bank fraudsters.

“The fraudsters lists include — Nirav Modi, i.e Chhota Modi, Mehul Choksi, Ami Modi, Neeshal Modi, Lalit Modi, Vijay Mallya, Jatin Mehta, Chetan Sandesara, Nitin Sandesara and many others with close connection and affection to the ruling establishment. Rishi Agarwal & others are the new ‘GEMS’ of the ‘Shehenshah’

“Complicity, collusion & connivance of those sitting in the highest echelons of power in the Modi Govt is writ large in India’s biggest fraud,” said Surjewala.

The party questioned the delay on the part of CBI to file the case.

The party statement said, “On 8th November 2019, State Bank of India filed a complaint to CBI for registration of FIR against ABG Shipyard’s Rishi Agarwal & others. Despite the apparent fraud and swindling of public money; CBI, SBI & Modi Govt proceeded to complicate the entire matter in bureaucratic wrangling and file-pushing. This happened for years as the public money went down the drain and fraudsters gained.

“Another intriguing facet is that ABG Shipyard was allotted 1,21,000 square metres of land in 2007 by Gujarat Govt headed by the then Chief Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. The CAG indicted the Gujarat Govt for undue favouring ABG Shipyard & Rishi Agarwal for allotting land at Rs 700 per square metre, while the price of land was 100% higher, i.e, Rs 1,400 per square metre.

“Another amazing facet is that despite the CAG report, the Gujarat Govt headed by the then CM, Shri Narendra Modi proceeded to allot 50 hectares of land to ABG Shipyard & Rishi Agarwal in Dahej, Gujarat. The Dahej project was shut down by ABG Shipyard in the year 2015.”

Surjewala asked, “Why did it take 5 years after the liquidation proceedings of ABG Shipyard to lodge even an FIR for duping 28 banks of Rs 22,842 crore ?”.