“HDFC baitha hi hua hai black money khane ke liye (HDFC is here to eat up all the black money).” – Faisal
Here, at this HDFC Bank branch in West Delhi, the Cobrapost journalist first met Deputy Manager M. Faisal, telling him straightaway that a politician wants to invest Rs. 50 lakh of black money. Would he help?
Faisal suggests the journalist should invest in HDFC Crest and says taking it in cash was not a problem. “Cash se karwa denge koi dikkat nahin hai. Cash ke liye aapko aana hoga khud. Matlab hum le nahin sakte yahan. To aapko chalna hoga, yehin Paschim Vihar (No problem, cash will do. But for cash you will have to come personally. I mean I will take you to Paschim Vihar nearby).” Then, he asked: “PAN card hai Sir aapke paas? Sir 10 lakh amount hai, PAN number dena hoga aapko. Usse safety hogi (Sir, do you have PAN card? Sir, if the amount is Rs. 10 lakh then you will have to give us PAN number. This will ensure safety).”
Faisal went on to make the ultimate revelation, leaving nothing to doubt: “Sir koi chakkar nahin hai. HDFC baitha hi hua hai black money khane ke liye (Sir, there is no problem. HDFC is here to eat up all the black money).”
Faisal then introduces the journalist to his superior, Branch Head A.R. Miglani, who too is willing to help. Better invest in insurance, suggests Miglani: “Best part hota hai, jo alag policy mein lagana na … black ka paisa laga dete ho … ab koi problem nahin hai … koi poochta bhi nahin hai. Kal ko kuchh bhagwaan na kare to uske upar kisi ki nazar nahin jaa sakti hai. 110 percent … usko court bhi nahi utha sakta (This is the best part. Invest in two different policies. If you invest black money, there is no problem. Nobody asks about it. God forbid, if somebody casts his evil eye on it … 110 per cent … even courts can’t pick it up).”
Would he help the customer get a locker to keep Rs. 5–7 crore of black money that the politician the frontman works for is expecting to receive in February? Miglani says: “Alag alag account mein daal dijiyega. Locker to hum de hi denge. Account mein daal dijiyega na thode thode kar ke. Locker de denge koi problem nahin hai, koi tension nahin hai. Wo locker mein rakh ke fir dheere dheere jama kar dijiyega. February mein le lijiyega (Deposit in separate accounts. We will give the locker. Deposit it in the accounts bit by bit. We will give you the locker, there is no problem, there is no tension. Put the cash in the locker and then deposit it in the account bit by bit).”
But please keep the transaction a secret, requests the journalist. Miglani reassures him: “Sir kaisi baat kar rahe ho. Doctors, lawyers aur bankers ek hi cheez hain. Ye to bhul jaiye ki aapki information isko bhi jayegi (What are you talking, Sir. Doctors, lawyers and bankers are made of the same stuff. Simply forget that I will share any of your information even with this man [tuning to the person next to him]). As a banker it’s our duty.”
A.R. Miglani’s reaction to the investigation: Though he admitted at the beginning of his meeting with the reporter, he refused to acknowledge once the reporter revealed his identity. He said what all they do they follow the procedures laid down by the bank.
Faisal’s reaction to the investigation: “No comments.”
