HDFC Bank's part-time Chairman Atanu Chakraborty resigned abruptly in March 2026, citing vague "deviations" he said were incongruent with his personal ethics. The exit rattled financial markets amid uncertainty over what those deviations meant.
In response, HDFC Bank commissioned three independent law firms, including Trilegal and Wadia Ghandy & Co., to conduct a forensic review. The firms examined two years of board meeting minutes, audio recordings, and all escalated whistleblower complaints.
The law firms concluded there is "no merit" or substance to the governance and ethical issues flagged by the former chairman.
The bank's decision to bring in external, independent auditors rather than issue a defensive statement is being read as a governance case study, aimed at resolving the uncertainty through documented, third-party findings rather than assertion.
