Indian officials attach Mehul Choksi's assets worth £2.88m

INDIA’S law enforcement and economic intelligence agency Thursday (11) said it has attached assets worth Rs 247.7 million (£2.88m) of fugitive diamond jeweller Mehul Choksi in India and abroad.

Choksi is one among the accused in over Rs 130 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan fraud and money laundering case.

The attached properties include three commercial assets based in Dubai, a Mercedes Benz car and a number of fixed deposits in bank accounts in the country and outside, the agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) said.

The total value of the attached properties is Rs 247.7m, ED added.

Out of the total proceeds of crime worth Rs 60.98bn, the ED has attached and seized properties worth Rs 25.34bn, including this attachment, it said.

Choksi, diamantaire Nirav Modi and others are being investigated by the ED and other probe agencies in the PNB fraud case.

The fraud came to light early last year after a complaint by the PNB that they allegedly cheated it to the tune of over Rs 130bn, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank.

The CBI and the ED have registered two first information reports (FIRs) each to probe the case.

Both Choksi and his nephew Modi left the country before criminal cases were lodged against them.

Choksi is at present based in the Caribbean nation of Antigua. India has sought his extradition from that country and an Interpol arrest warrant has also been issued against him.

(PTI)