New Delhi: The CBI on Monday questioned Ravi Gupta, chief financial officer (CFO) of Firestar Diamonds International Limi-ted — a firm linked to diamond merchant Nirav Modi — in connection with the multi-crore PNB fraud case.
According to sources Mr Gupta was question-ed by the agency sleuths in connection with CBI’s probe into the fresh (third) FIR registered against Nirav Modi and his firms. The agency in its fresh FIR alleged that Modi -— accused of being the mastermind behind the fraud pegged at Rs 12,686 crore in the first two FIRs — and his firms had also misused legitimate loans and guarantees in active connivance with PNB officers.
Sources said there are allegations that PNB had been cheated of a further $49.4 million (close to Rs 322 crore). The CBI registered its third case against billionaire jeweller in connection with the alleged fraud in credit facilities extended by PNB, causing a loss of rs 321 crore to it. The action was taken on a complaint by the bank on March 4. The CBI named Modi, then president (finance) of his Firestar Diamonds International Limited Vipul Ambani, CFO Ravi Gupta, other directors and officials of the company, and unidentified public servants of the bank in this FIR.
The bank alleged in its complaint that its Brady Road branch in Mumbai had extended credit faci-lities to Firestar group between 2013 and 2017.
