Punjab National Bank on Friday sought to quell rumours that the bank had imposed a withdrawal limit and Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli had allegedly discontinued his endorsement of the bank.
“There are reports in social media/other platforms that the withdrawal limit for a customer from the bank has been capped at ₹3,000,” the bank said in a statement. “It is absolutely incorrect, no such limit has been fixed by the bank and normal banking activities are going on as usual. No restrictions on the withdrawals have been imposed by the bank.”
“There are reports in the media that Mr. Virat Kohli, bank’s brand ambassador, is going to discontinue his endorsement with Punjab National Bank,” the statement added. “The same is again totally false and incorrect. Mr. Kohli is our brand ambassador.”
The bank also debunked reports in the media that the Reserve Bank of India or the government had asked the bank to make payments of the fraudulent amount to other banks. “The report is totally incorrect and the bank confirms not having received any such instructions,” it said.
PwC issue
“There are media reports that the bank has engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to conduct an investigation into the alleged fraud and PwC has been asked to gather evidence that can be used against Nirav Modi and his associates in court,” the statement added. “The news is totally incorrect.”
Regarding the transfer of employees, the bank said the reports that 18,000 transfers had been made were false, with the bank having effected only 1,415 transfers.
Prompt steps
“The bank has already initiated prompt steps for protecting the financial interests of all lenders/stakeholders, including issuance of advisory to lenders involved and to act swiftly to recover the dues,” the statement said. “Punjab National Bank is committed to honouring all bona fide commitments … (and) has taken proactive steps to bring the culprits to book and has initiated strong action against the entities and the staff involved.”
