Preity Zinta received ₹1.55 crore remission on her loan. Here’s what we know

The New India Co-operative Bank had granted a remission of ₹1.55 crore to actor Preity Zinta in order to settle her loan of ₹18 crore which it classified as a non-performing asset (NPA), police said on Thursday.

Preity Zinta granted ₹1.55 crore loan remission by New India Coop Bank

The loan was sanctioned in 2011 from the troubled New India Co-operative Bank.

As per an official, Preity settled the loan in April 2014.

How is Preity Zinta linked with New India Coop Bank

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police is currently investigating the New India Co-operative Bank embezzlement case. It has so far arrested eight accused in the case, including the bank's former general manager and head of accounts Hitesh Mehta, who was held on February 15.

As a part of the investigation, the agency examined the data of the bank's NPA loans from 2010 onwards when details about Preity's loan surfaced.

"During the investigation, it was found that actor Preity Zinta had taken a loan from the bank. She was sanctioned a loan of ₹18 crore on January 7, 2011," he said.

"She had mortgaged her properties to the bank, which included a flat in Mumbai and a property in Shimla, collectively worth ₹27.41 crore. In November 2012, she had to repay ₹11.40 crore to the bank," the official said.

On March 31, 2013, her loan account was classified as NPA due to non-repayment of it in time, and the NPA amount was ₹11.47 crore, he said.

"The bank then offered a settlement of the loan by giving a remission of ₹1.55 crore on the final settlement of the loan to her. The remaining loan amount was paid by the actor on April 5, 2014," the official said.

Preity Zinta's ₹18 crore loan

Previously, Preity had slammed the Congress Kerala unit for “spreading fake news” about her ₹18 crore loan.

She posted on X, “No I operate my social media accounts my self and shame on you for promoting FAKE NEWS ! No one wrote off anything or any loan for me. I’m shocked that a political party or their representative is promoting fake news & indulging in vile gossip & click baits using my name & images (sic) .”

New India Coop Bank scam

Meanwhile, the EOW will soon conduct a brain mapping test on Hitesh Mehta, the prime accused in the case, on Friday at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Mumbai's Kalina. This will be done to collect more information about the money trail and involvement of other accused persons.

The police had earlier conducted a polygraph test on Mehta, the official reported.

On the other hand, former chairman of the bank Hiren Bhanu and his wife Gauri Bhanu are wanted accused in the case.