DHFL PAID ₹17CR COMMISSION TO BIZMAN NAVLANI: CBI CHARGE SHEET

In the course of its investigation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has found that Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited (DHFL) deviated from its usual practise and paid Mumbai businessman Jitu Navlani a commission of ₹17 crore.

Navlani, who runs a pub in south Mumbai called Dirty Buns, is allegedly close to former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, and has been accused by Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut of running an extortion racket using his connections with the Enforcement Directorate officers.

Navlani has been booked by the Maharashtra anti-corruption bureau for promising businessmen reprieve from any action by ED in lieu of money.

In its charge sheet filed on June 25 in the DHFL-Yes Bank fraud, CBI quoted the testimony of the executive assistant to DHFL CMD Kapil Wadhawan to say that Wadhawan paid ₹17 crore to Jitu Navlani for a loan given by DHFL to M/s Bombay Dying as commission. Govindan Srinivasan, Wadhawan’s EA from 2013 to 2019, told the CBI that the money was allegedly paid to stave off central agencies from probing DHFL.

“Hundreds of projects loans were sanctioned and disbursed by DHFL during 6 years of my service... and other than the three instances in respect of companies of Avinash Bhosale and... payment of commission to Jitu Navlani for the loan provided to Bombay Dying, I did not come across a single instance where commissions were paid to agents... for project finance loans from any external agency,” he said.

NAVLANI HAS BEEN BOOKED BY THE MAHARASHTRA ANTI-CORRUPTION BUREAU FOR PROMISING BUSINESSMEN REPRIEVE FROM ANY ACTION BY ED IN LIEU OF MONEY