India's Punjab National Bank reports $1.8bn fraud by Zeenat Saberin
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PNB says it has suspended at least 10 employees [Adnan Abidi/Reuters] more on Business & Economy
India is investigating a $1.77bn fraud case at the state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB), according to government officials.
The bank in a statement issued on Wednesday said it had "detected some fraudulent and unauthorised transactions in one of its branches in Mumbai for the benefit of a few select account holders."
PNB has said a few of its executives colluded with perpetrators by illegally issuing "letters of undertaking" to aid Nirav Modi, 47, a billionaire jeweller, and companies linked to him.
Letters of Undertakings, or LoUs, are a banking instrument issued by a bank providing a form of guarantee or an assurance to meet a liability on customer's behalf.
"Based on these transactions other banks appear to have advanced money to these customers abroad," PNB said in a statement.
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