The Bombay High Court has criticized the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the arrest of former ICICI Bank Managing Director and CEO Chanda Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar in a loan fraud case, stating it was done "without application of mind and due regard to the law," constituting an "abuse of power." Justices Anuja Prabhudessai and N R Borkar termed the arrest illegal and upheld an earlier interim bail order from January 2023.

The court's order, released on Monday, highlighted the lack of supportive material or circumstances justifying the arrest, rendering it unlawful. It dismissed the notion that the Kochhars' silence during interrogation amounted to non-cooperation, asserting their right against self-incrimination under Article 20(3) of the Indian Constitution.

The Kochhars were arrested by the CBI on December 23, 2022, in connection with the Videocon-ICICI Bank loan case. They immediately challenged their arrest in the high court, obtaining interim bail on January 9, 2023. The court, in its February 6 order, emphasized that arrests should not be routine and must be made with proper consideration, as outlined in section 41A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

The Bombay High Court has criticized the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the arrest of former ICICI Bank Managing Director and CEO Chanda Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar in a loan fraud case, stating it was done "without application of mind and due regard to the law," constituting an "abuse of power." Justices Anuja Prabhudessai and N R Borkar termed the arrest illegal and upheld an earlier interim bail order from January 2023.

The court's order, released on Monday, highlighted the lack of supportive material or circumstances justifying the arrest, rendering it unlawful. It dismissed the notion that the Kochhars' silence during interrogation amounted to non-cooperation, asserting their right against self-incrimination under Article 20(3) of the Indian Constitution.

The Kochhars were arrested by the CBI on December 23, 2022, in connection with the Videocon-ICICI Bank loan case. They immediately challenged their arrest in the high court, obtaining interim bail on January 9, 2023. The court, in its February 6 order, emphasized that arrests should not be routine and must be made with proper consideration, as outlined in section 41A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).