How many depositors do you have?

Six crore plus. One in 17 Indians.

And is that why you are under the scanner all the time. From RBI, from the Income Tax Deparment. Or is that because of your friendships?

RBI is fine, because it is their responsibility, their duty to control and take care of such an organisation, the largest in deposit mobilisation in the private sector. We've crossed the levels of many private banks. So RBI has every reason to check us.

What's the total amount being held with Sahara?

Around Rs 19,000 crore. That's the size of the balance sheet. If I talk of deposits, we probably have collected Rs 50,000 crore and discharged the liabilities.

Some of your friends were ranged against this UPA Government. Mr Amar Singh, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav . . . you are close to them.

Let me be very clear: apart from personal friendships, we don't have any political relations with anybody. We don't have any business relations with anybody. Personal relationship has nothing to do with anybody becoming vindictive.

The stories about Sahara laundering Mulayam Singh Yadav's money?

They are like film stories. Let me use an expression -- chandukhaney ki kahani hai (a story from an opium den) (Laughs). Not a single rupee of Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav is with us.

... contd.