PNB fraud: ED seizes jewellery, watches, paintings of Nirav Modi

Mumbai/New Delhi: A fresh seizure of antique jewellery, costly watches and paintings of Amrita Sher-Gil and MF Hussain worth Rs 26 crore has been made by the ED from the sea-facing Mumbai apartment of diamantaire Nirav Modi in connection with the over Rs 12,000 crore PNB fraud case.

Officials said the Enforcement Directorate along with the CBI launched fresh searches on March 22 at the Samudra Mahal luxury residential flats of Modi in Mumbai's Worli area which resulted in the recovery of fresh valuables.

Antique jewellery worth Rs 15 crore, costly watches valued at Rs 1.4 crore and paintings of acclaimed artists like Amrita Sher-Gil, MF Hussain and KK Hebbar valued at Rs 10 crore have been seized over the last three days under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

A lone diamond ring in this cache is valued at Rs 10 crore, they added.

The central probe agency has filed two money laundering FIRs against Nirav Modi and his uncle and Gitanjali Gems promoter Mehul Choksi to probe the alleged over Rs 1,200 crore fraud in the Punjab National Bank (PNB).

The ED has also notified the Interpol for a global arrest warrant against the two as they have left India early this year and have not appeared before the agency after summonses were issued to them.

A Mumbai special court has issued non-bailable warrants against them on the request of the ED.

It has conducted a total of 251 country-wide searches in this case after it began the criminal probe against the accused in February.  

The total seizure and attachment of diamond, gold, precious and semi-precious stones and other movable and immovable assets in the case stand at Rs 7,664 crore.