Bollywood actress Preity Zinta has reacted to allegations that an Rs 18 crore loan in her name was written off by the troubled New India Cooperative Bank Ltd.
Zinta, in a statement strongly denied the allegations and issued a clarification on the matter. The controversy erupted when a report by Moneylife, exposed large-scale financial mismanagement and alleged corruption at the bank, ultimately leading to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cracking a whip on its operations.
According to the report, corporate loans of up to Rs 25 crore were sanctioned without the knowledge of branch managers. Many of these loans turned into non-performing assets (NPAs) within a year, allegedly due to fund diversions. Among the most high-profile cases cited was the alleged Rs 18 crore loan to Bollywood actress Preity Zinta. The report went on to claim that the loan was allegedly “written off” without following proper recovery procedures.In response, Zinta issued a statement to the portal through her legal team, asserting, “More than 12 years ago, I had an overdraft facility with the New India Cooperative Bank. More than 10 years ago, I repaid in full the entire dues in respect of this overdraft facility, and the account stands closed.”
Further allegations in the report suggest that over 80 senior staff members were forced to resign in 2019, prompting employees to urge RBI to conduct a forensic audit, dissolve the board of directors, and recover losses from the personal assets of those responsible.
On the personal front, Preity made an appearance at the Maha Kumbh. Taking to her handle, she dropped a picture from Prayagraj that saw her forehead smeared with the tilak. “All roads lead to the Maha Kumbh. Satyam Shivam Sundaram,” she captioned the post.