PNB fraud case: Non-bailable warrants issued against Nirav Modi, Choksi

Mumbai: A special PMLA court in Mumbai on Saturday issued non-bailable warrants against diamond traders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi in connection with the PNB fraud case.

The Central bureau of Investigation (CBI) had directed Modi to mandatorily join the investigation from next week after he claimed that he could not join the probe as he had business commitments abroad.

The central investigating agency also asked the celebrity diamond merchant to contact the High Commission of the concerned country and said that the CBI will arrange for his travel.

Modi, Choksi and others are being investigated by multiple probe agencies after the fraud came to light recently following a complaint by the Punjab National Bank. The complaint alleged that they cheated the nationalised bank to the tune of Rs 11,400 crore, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank.

Nirav along with his wife Ami, brother Neeshal and Mehul Choksi left India in the first week of January before the Punjab National Bank accused them of committing the fraud. They have not returned to India since then.

Meanwhile, the Government has revoked the passports of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.