Agencies / New Delhi
ICICI Bank CEO and MD Chanda Kochhar, who is facing an independent probe for her alleged involvement in a deal which benefited family members, has gone on planned annual leave and not on forced leave as has been reported in a section of media, the bank said on Friday.
In a regulatory filing, ICICI Bank also said that it has not appointed any search committee to find a successor of Kochhar.
According to media reports, Kocchar was asked to go on leave pending an independent enquiry into her role in granting huge loan to Videocon group on quid pro quo basis.
“The ICICI Bank Board denies having asked Ms Chanda Kochhar to go on leave. She is on her annual leave which was planned in advance. Further, the Board denies that it has appointed any search committee to find her successor,” a bank official said.
Earlier this week, the bank board had decided to launch an enquiry to be headed by an “independent and credible person”, to examine and enquire into an anonymous whistle blower complaint alleging that the bank MD & CEO had not adhered to code of conduct and acted in “conflict of interest” over a period of time.
“In keeping with the Whistle Blower Policy of the bank, board has mandated its audit committee to take all further actions in the matter to operationalise this decision—including in particular, appointment of an independent and credible person as head of the enquiry, determining the terms of reference…” the bank had said in a regulatory filing dated May 30.
It is learnt that Kochhar has not been attending office from this week and is expected to join only after June 10.
The enquiry was ordered by the board, at its meeting on May 29, on a complaint by an anonymous whistle-blower against Kochhar.