Ramon Magsaysay Award winner and globally acclaimed doctor V Shanta criticised PNB MD and CEO Sunil Mehta for using the word 'cancer' to describe the Rs 12,717 crore scam at the bank by billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and his associates.
In a letter to Mehta, Dr Shanta wrote: “Corruption is something to be ashamed of, cancer is not…do not try to find parallels where none exist. Do not mix cancer with corruption. Ever.”
While addressing a press conference in connection with the $2 billion scam earlier in the month, the Punjab Nation Bank chief had said: “We have suspended some, and our inquiry is on. We are not going to allow any wrongdoing to continue and will remove this cancer. From 2011, this cancer has continued. We are doing surgery and are removing it.”
The legendary cancer specialist, who was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2006 and is currently chairman of Chennai based Cancer Institute (WIA), said one ought to be ashamed of corruption but not of cancer.
"I was extremely disturbed to read your reference to cancer in the context of the recent scam unearthed at your bank. Corruption is a crime and something to be ashamed of; cancer is not," Dr Shanta wrote.
She also appealed to the others not to use the word in cancer in such sense as it could outrage medical personal working in the field of cancer prevention and cure.
Observing that several cancer patients are cured and lead productive lives, she said, "we do not want the word cancer to be associated with guilt, hopelessness or dread. And definitely not with the shame."
She also appealed to the others not to use the word in cancer in such sense as it could outrage medical personal working in the field of cancer prevention and cure.
The spate of frauds in the banking sector running into thousands of crores or rupees have outraged common people, who often liken deep-rooted corruption to something pernicious as cancer.
On Tuesday, the CBI questioned the CEO and the MD of Allahabad Bank Usha Ananthasubramanian in connection with the PNB fraud Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.
The PNB, in a late night filing to stock exchanges, said the scam has swelled by $204.25 million. The quantum of alleged fraud perpetrated in the bank by billionaire jewellers Modi and Choksi now stands at close to $2 billion.
(With PTI inputs)
