Priyanka Chopra has decided to part ways with Nirav Modi. The actress has reportedly terminated her contract with the celebrity billionaire designer in the wake of the Punjab National Bank scandal.
PNB has accused Modi of duping the state-run bank of Rs 11,400-crore, and the 35-year-old actress no longer wants to be the global brand ambassador of the brand, her spokesperson told ANI.
Chopra's spokesperson refuted rumours the actress was planning to sue Modi for non-payment of dues. "There are speculative reports that Priyanka Chopra has sued Nirav Modi. This is not true. However, she is currently seeking legal opinion with respect to terminating her contract with the brand in light of allegations of financial fraud against Nirav Modi," the spokesperson said.
The Enforcement Directorate recently asked Modi to appear before it in connection with the fraud scam, however the diamond czar said he would not be able to appear as his passport has been suspended.
The government had on Friday temporarily suspended the passports of both Modi as well as his uncle Mehul Choksi, owner of Gitanjali Gems, for four weeks on the request of the ED. Modi and Choksi were also asked to respond within a week as to why their passports should not be impounded or revoked.
On Friday, the central probe agency froze bank deposits and shares worth about Rs 440 million of the Nirav Modi group and also seized a huge collection of imported watches belonging to the billionaire. Modi's his luxury cars, including a Rolls Royce, were also seized and the ED has issued fresh summons against Modi.
On Thursday, PNB responded to a recent e-mail from the billionaire asking him to submit a concrete plan to clear his liabilities. "You were getting LoUs issued illegally and in an unauthorised way through a few bank officials. At no stage were such facilities extended by our bank to the three partner firms. When these illegal activities surfaced, they pointed to an apparent violation of FEMA and the money laundering law," PNB's general manager (international banking division), Ashwini Vats, said in an e-mail response.
Modi had accused the bank of tarnishing his name and destroying his brand and said his dues were much less than what the bank claims.
