This state-run bank’s disclosure of hefty losses linked to its overseas operations caught the Street off guard. The unexpected hit, arising from an out-of-court settlement, prompted a flurry of calls from analysts seeking clarity—especially since the lender had never hinted at an out-of-court settlement. Bank officials, however, remained tight-lipped despite repeated attempts. The silence, it now appears, may not have been entirely voluntary. Street talk suggests the lender was told not to speak by its most powerful shareholder—one that is also believed to have helped steer the settlement.


(For more on our weekly roundup of wackiest whispers and murmurs in corporate corridors & policy parlours, pick up today's edition of The Economic Times newspaper)