New Delhi: Having denied the allegations of securing a loan waiver from New India Cooperative Bank, Bollywood actress Preity Zinta is in no mood to let journalist Sucheta Dalal go easily.
On Thursday, Zinta publicly called for action from the Press Council of India against Dalal, accusing her of spreading false information that tarnished her reputation.
Taking to X, Zinta shared what she claims is proof debunking a story linked to Dalal and demanded an apology from “everyone that carried this.”
She wrote, “A lot of people wanted proof about a Fake news story peddled as news by @suchetadalal. Here it is. Now should the press council of India @PressCouncil_IN take note of such journalists & what should her punishment be?”
The controversy erupted after the Kerala Congress posted on X on February 24, 2025, alleging that Zinta had a Rs 18 crore loan from the New India Cooperative Bank written off in exchange for handing over her social media accounts to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The claim stemmed from a report by Moneylife, a publication co-founded by Dalal, which had previously highlighted financial irregularities at the bank, including the alleged write-off of Zinta’s loan.
The bank has been under scrutiny following the Reserve Bank of India’s decision to dissolve its board on February 15, 2025, amid a Rs 122 crore embezzlement scandal.
Zinta, who was in Prayagraj to attend Maha Kumbh, slammed Kerala Congress and Dalal saying that she manages her own social media and labelled the loan narrative as “fake news.”
She stated that a loan she took over 12 years ago was repaid in full a decade prior, with no write-offs or political favors involved.
Singling out Dalal, Zinta said, “If you don’t value my reputation then sorry I don’t value yours @suchetadalal. Next time pls call me and find out if the story is true or not before mentioning my name.”
Following Zinta’s rebuttal and public backlash, the Kerala Congress issued another statement without offering any apology, despite acknowledging that it may have made a mistake.
"We are glad to accept mistakes if we have made any," the grand old party's Kerala unit wrote on X.
Further suggesting that the party was in cahoots with the journalist, Kerala Congress asked for proof of innocence from Zinta instead.
"If the reports are wrong, we request you to clear the air with proof once for all and raise your voice in their interest too," the Kerala Congress added.
It is pertinent to note that the original post from February 24 remains active on their X account as of February 28, 2025.
Dalal has not yet responded publicly to the accusations as of now.
The Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai Police distanced itself from linking Zinta to the fraud citing no complaint to this effect.
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