Mumbai, June 27 -- Former HDFC Bank chairman Atanu Chakraborty has termed the appointment of external law firms and the resulting report a "superfluous exercise", saying he chose not to speak because the bank refused to disclose the terms of reference or the legal basis for such a review.

Chakraborty told Mint over the phone on Saturday that he asked the bank for the terms of reference at least 5-6 times to no avail. "I do not crave for the certificate of an external agency," he said.

In March, Chakraborty, then the chairman of India's largest private-sector lender, suddenly resigned, with his 17-March letter to the board citing "certain happenings and practices within the bank" that were "not in congruence" with his personal values and...