Facebook faces more questions from CBI on data theft of Indian users

Companies News

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sent a second round of questions to Facebook (FB), seeking further information on the alleged theft of data of Indian users of the social networking site. This follows Facebook’s initial replies on the matter to the CBI.

The agency was not satisfied with the response, which was more about the processes regarding privacy of personal data, it is learnt.

The CBI had registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) in August 2018 after receiving a reference from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

The recent query was raised on some specific points based on the evidence gathered by the probe agency. Sources in the know said the questions were around the charges of harvesting personal data of Facebook users without their consent for political purposes.

An email sent to Facebook did not elicit any response.

Besides Facebook, the CBI had also sought reply from British consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research (GSR). In an initial reply, Analytica denied the allegations of breaching the data of Indians, said a source.


 The CBI is probing whether Cambridge Analytica allegedly received data from Global Science Research, for illicit harvesting of personal data by using Facebook. The data analytical firm had earlier also faced allegations that it used personal information harvested from 87 million Facebook accounts to help Donald Trump win the 2016 US Presidential election...Read More

CBI questions Kolkata top cop, ex-TMC MP in Saradha, Rose Valley scams

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar during the Joint Investiture Ceremony of West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police, in Kolkata

Current Affairs:

The CBI has been questioning Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar and former TMC MP Kunal Ghosh by making them sit face to face at the probe agency's office here in connection with the Saradha chit fund and Rose Valley scams, officials.

The marathon questioning of Kumar, that began at 10.30 am, was still on at 9.30 pm when this report was filed.

The questioning by the CBI, being done as per the directions of the Supreme Court, continued for the second day on Sunday.

A two-member CBI team, who are the Investigating Officers in the Saradha and Rose Valley scams, arrived here in the afternoon.

Kumar and Ghosh were grilled in the initial period by a 10-member team of the CBI, the officials said.

The Kolkata Police chief was quizzed for nearly nine hours on Saturday by three senior CBI officers about his alleged role in tampering of crucial evidence in the case, they said.
Kumar had led the special investigation team (SIT) formed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to probe the Saradha scam before the case was handed over to the CBI by the apex court.

 Officials in Delhi said the CBI has not acceded to the demand of Kumar to have his questioning session videographed.

Kolkata Police-CBI clash: Mamata sits on dharna, attacks PM Modi over raids

Current Affairs:

High drama unfolded in Kolkata on Sunday in a CBI vs city police face-off, prompting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to stage a dharna at the Metro Channel.

Around 6pm, 40 CBI officers reached Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar’s residence over alleged involvement in chit fund scams linked to Saradha and Rose Valley.

The Kolkata Police is believed to have sought a search warrant. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers’ failure to produce one led the police to detain some officers, who were whisked away in jeeps. There are contradictory reports on whether they were arrested. In a retaliatory move, Kolkata Police also landed at the CGO Complex, the CBI headquarters in the state.

Banerjee rushed to Loudon Street, the Commissioner's residence, to take stock of the situation and threw her weight behind Kumar.

“This has happened a day after (PM) Modi was here,” she said, addressing the media. She also said Ajit Doval (National Security Advisor) was implementing Modi's agenda and he was giving instruction to the CBI.


 "Whenever an election comes, there is some issue around chit fund,” said Banerjee, challenging that Kumar's link with chit fund be proved. Kumar was leading the SIT probe in the Saradha scam...Read More

CBI closes in on Chanda Kochhar, husband in ICICI Bank-Videocon loan case

Finance News:

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has named ICICI Bank’s former managing director and chief executive officer (MD and CEO) Chanda Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar, along with his firms, as “accused” in the Rs 3,250-crore Videocon loan case.

The first information report (FIR) registered on Thursday said the accused, including Videocon Industries (VIL) and its chairman and MD, Venugopal Dhoot, sanctioned certain loans to private companies in a criminal conspiracy and cheated ICICI Bank to the tune of Rs 1,730 crore.

Explaining the modus operandi, the CBI said ICICI Bank sanctioned credit facilities of Rs 3,250 crore to several companies belonging to Videocon group such as Trend Electronics, Century Appliances and others which were in violation of the Banking Regulation Act, Reserve Bank of India rules and the bank’s credit policy. The Rs 3,250-crore credit amount was part of a total loan of Rs 40,000 crore sanctioned to the Videocon group by a 20-bank consortium.


 The agency said it had investigated the quid pro quo where Dhoot made an investment of Rs 64 crore in Deepak Kochhar’s NuPower Renewables through his firm Supreme Energy (SEPL). Dhoot also transferred the same to Pinnacle Energy managed by Kochhar through a “circuitous route” between 2010 and 2012...Read More