Anil Ambani grilled for eight hours by CBI in major bank fraud probe
The CBI on Thursday questioned industrialist Anil Ambani for nearly eight hours in connection with a Rs.2,929-crore cheating case, registered against Reliance Communications Ltd and him on a complaint by the State Bank of India. The industrialist, who is facing several investigations in CBI cases, has been called again on Friday for questioning, said officials.
Anil Ambani’s companies made default with 14 banks, with a due of more than Rs.71,000 crore. Former Expenditure Secretary EAS Sarma, represented by noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan, approached the Supreme Court against Anil Ambani’s bank frauds. The Supreme Court has directed CBI and ED to speed up the probe.
Debt-sunken Ambani arrived at the agency headquarters at around 10.15 and was taken to the investigation team after the completion of formalities. He left the agency headquarters at around 6.15 in the evening. “In connection with the case registered by CBI on August 21, 2025 against Reliance Communications Limited in Rs.2929.05 crore bank fraud case in which Reliance Communications Limited, Anil D Ambani and others unknown including unknown public servants, are accused, the CBI summoned Anil D Ambani for interrogation today at CBI Head Office at Delhi,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.
“The accused Anil D Ambani appeared before the Investigating Officer today and has been interrogated for about 8 Hours. For further questioning, the accused has been directed to appear before the investigating officer tomorrow as well,” the spokesperson said. According to the statement, the agency questioned Ambani about the decision-making process at the company, and several emails exchanged between him and executives also came up.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also sought his responses on alleged fund diversion, misappropriation, and other irregularities in the loan funds issued to the company by the bank, they said. The CBI had booked Ambani in August last year for allegedly defrauding the SBI to the tune of Rs.2,929 crore, officials said. According to the SBI complaint, now part of the FIR, the company had an outstanding of over Rs.40,000 crore to various lenders, with the public sector bank alone facing a loss of Rs.2,929 crore, according to 2018 figures. The CBI booked Ambani and RCom for allegedly committing offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, and criminal breach of trust.
“It is alleged that the accused persons, in criminal conspiracy, misrepresented and got sanctioned credit facilities from SBI in favour of Reliance Communication Ltd,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement in August last year. CBI also searched the Ambani residence ‘Sea Wind‘ at Cuffe Parade in Mumbai.
The complaint filed by SBI pertains to matters dating back more than 10 years, according to Ambani’s spokesperson.
For all the latest updates, download PGurus App.
