New Delhi sources added that Gitanjali Group of firms owner Mehul Choksi, the accused in over Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case along with his nephew Nirav Modi, moved to Carribbean nation of Antigua from the US weeks ago using a local passport. Meanwhile the revelation came from Antiguan authorities in response to a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) diffusion notice circulated to foreign countries through Interpol.
Moreover the CBI learnt the fact last week and it shared the information with the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Both the CBI and the ED have been probing the multi-crore fraud allegedly committed during 2011-2017. Accordingly on July 11 the ED has asked a special court in Mumbai to declare diamond merchants Choksi and Nirav Modi as "fugitives" under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance 2018 because they fled from India a month before they were named in the fraudulent case on January 31.
Furthermore the ED has been probing two cases of money laundering against
Choksi, Nirav Modi and others under Prevention of Money Laundering
Act on the basis of FIR registered by the CBI, the prime investigating agency
of the case. Moreover in these cases, the ED had on May 24 and May 26 filed
prosecution complaints or charge sheets against Choksi and Nirav Modi and the
court has taken cognizance of the charge sheets and issued non-bailable warrant
against both the absconders.
