PMLA court summons Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi in September: PNB case

Mumbai, July 26 A Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mumbai on Thursday issued summons against stealing away diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi regarding the Punjab National Bank (PNB) extortion case and has requested that they show up before it in September or be proclaimed Fugitive Economic Offenders.

Nirav Modi has been asked to appear before the special PMLA court on September 25 while Mehul Choksi is requested to show up on September 26.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had not long ago filed two separate applications in the extraordinary court against Modi and Choksi under Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, 2018.

ED also sought orders for confiscation of their assets in India, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates worth Rs 3,500 crore.

In its application to court, ED tries to reallocate movable and immovable assets of the accused.

This comes after Choksi moved to the extraordinary court looking for undoing of a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him prior this month.

Choksi recorded the application, under Section 70(2) of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

As indicated by the application, Choksi is a "reputable national" and "never shied far from the investigation or the investigating agencies and duly responded to all the communications received by him from the investigating agencies."

It expresses that because of sick wellbeing, Choksi left for abroad for a regular health checkup.

Citing example of mob lynching in India, Choksi in the application expressed that he fears for his life. Choksi expressed that following people have "grievances and outrage" against him - the current representatives whose compensations and contribution have not been paid in view of solidifying of the records; the groups of confined workers who have been captured with no justifiable purpose; the landowners whose premises the organizations had gone up against lease, who have not been paid their duty; the clients whose gems in showroom have been taken away by the Enforcement Directorate (ED); the loan bosses of provisions and administrations, who have not been paid their dues.

The PNB detected the multi-crore scam earlierthis year wherein Nirav and Choksi had professedly swindled the bank to the tune of USD 2 billion, with the indicated contribution of a couple of workers of the bank.