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PNB flags Rs 2400 crore loan fraud tied to SREI accounts, takes full provision

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  Published in Business and Finance on Friday, December 26th 2025 at 12:30 GMT by Business Today
      Locale: Delhi, INDIA

PNB flags over Rs 2400 crore loan fraud tied to SREI accounts – makes full provision

On 26 December 2025, Punjab National Bank (PNB) announced that it had identified a fraud involving more than Rs 2400 crore linked to accounts held by SREI Infrastructure Finance Co. Ltd. (SREI), one of India’s leading infrastructure‑finance companies. The bank has taken a “full provision” on the suspicious loans, effectively treating the entire amount as non‑performing and writing it off from its balance sheet. The move follows a series of internal audit findings, external regulatory scrutiny, and a heightened focus on corporate credit risk after a spate of high‑profile loan‑scandal cases in the country.

1. A quick recap of the key players

2. How the fraud came to light

According to the article, PNB’s risk management and audit teams identified irregularities while reconciling the accounts of SREI in May 2025. The anomalies included:

• Duplicate loan authorisations – The same loan amount was approved under two different sanction letters.
• Misclassification of risk – Loans that should have been flagged as “sub‑standard” were recorded as “performing”.
• Inadequate collateral – Several large disbursements were backed by assets that did not meet the bank’s collateral criteria.

The bank’s internal forensic team traced the suspicious disbursements back to a series of complex inter‑company transactions between SREI and a group of shell companies. The audit concluded that the fraud amounted to more than Rs 2400 crore, and that the funds had likely been siphoned off to outside parties.

3. Regulatory backdrop

The RBI has been tightening its oversight of corporate lending, especially in the wake of the 2023 “corporate loan‑scandal” wave that shook the Indian financial system. The RBI’s latest circular (dated 12 November 2025) requires banks to disclose any “material” loss on a corporate loan to shareholders and regulators within 15 days of discovery. PNB’s prompt disclosure aligns with this directive.

Moreover, the RBI’s “High‑Risk Exposure” guidelines were recently updated to demand higher provisions for loans to companies with a credit rating of “C” or below. SREI’s own credit rating, which fell to “C” in early 2025 after a sharp decline in its earnings, triggered the stricter provisioning requirement.

4. What “full provision” means for PNB

A “full provision” means that PNB is setting aside 100 % of the loan amount as a potential loss on its books. While this move does not guarantee that the bank will recover any of the funds, it does signal that the bank considers the loan “non‑performing” and unlikely to be repaid.

The immediate impact is twofold:

1. Profitability hit – The bank’s net profit for the quarter is expected to shrink by at least Rs 300 crore, after accounting for the provisioning charge.
2. Capital adequacy – PNB’s risk‑weighted assets (RWA) will increase, potentially affecting its capital adequacy ratio (CAR). Regulators will monitor the bank’s CAR to ensure it remains within the prescribed limits.

5. Steps being taken to recover the funds

PNB has opened a forensic investigation with the assistance of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The key actions include:

• Asset recovery – Tracing and seizing assets that have been used as collateral in the fraudulent disbursements.
• Legal action – Filing a civil suit against the directors of SREI who were found to have orchestrated the fraud.
• Audit trail – Working with external auditors to reconstruct the cash flow and identify any other banks that may have been involved.

The bank has also notified the RBI and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to ensure a coordinated approach to asset recovery.

6. Broader implications for the Indian banking sector

The PNB‑SREI case is not an isolated incident. The past two years have seen a number of large‑scale loan frauds involving other public sector banks and private lenders. Some key takeaways for the industry are:

• Stricter underwriting – Banks are revisiting their credit risk assessment protocols to prevent “over‑lending” and “duplicate sanctioning”.
• Enhanced technology – There is a push to adopt AI‑driven fraud detection tools that can flag suspicious patterns in real time.
• Regulatory alignment – RBI is expected to issue further guidelines mandating quicker provisioning and stronger audit frameworks.

7. What investors should watch

Investors in PNB’s shares should note that the bank’s quarterly results for the quarter ending December 2025 will reflect the Rs 2400 crore loss. While the bank’s long‑term fundamentals remain strong—given its large deposit base and diversified loan portfolio—the immediate impact on earnings may lead to a temporary dip in the share price.

For those holding shares in SREI, the fallout from the fraud could be more pronounced. The company’s market valuation may suffer due to the regulatory scrutiny, potential downgrades in credit ratings, and a possible capital call to shore up its balance sheet.

8. Concluding thoughts

PNB’s decision to flag a fraud of this magnitude and to take full provision on the affected loans underscores the increasing seriousness with which Indian banks are treating corporate credit risk. While the immediate financial hit may be palpable, the long‑term payoff lies in restoring depositor confidence and maintaining the integrity of the banking system.

The case also highlights the need for a more robust regulatory framework and stronger corporate governance practices across the industry. If PNB’s recovery efforts succeed and the bank demonstrates sound risk management, it could serve as a benchmark for other banks navigating similar challenges.

As the investigation proceeds, stakeholders—ranging from bank executives and regulators to investors and customers—will be watching closely to see how effectively PNB can recoup the lost funds, and how the RBI will respond to the broader implications for banking prudence in India.