Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's sister Purvi Modi moved an application before a special CBI court in Mumbai on Tuesday, seeking to record her statement in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case through video conference. According to reports from PTI, Purvi Modi, who is a Belgian national and younger sister of the diamond merchant, has already filed a plea before the court for turning approver in the case. The CBI had insisted that before her plea to turn approver is decided, her statement in the case needs to be recorded. During the hearing, her counsel requested that the statement be recorded through video conferencing, citing her presence outside India. The special CBI court has directed the prosecution to file its response to the application before taking a decision.
As reported by PTI, Nirav Modi, who is currently lodged in a London prison where he continues to contest extradition proceedings initiated by Indian authorities, is a prime accused in the case. The court has asked the prosecution to submit its reply on Purvi's plea for recording her statement through video conference. Purvi Modi was arraigned as an accused in the alleged criminal bank fraud case where multiple chargesheets have been filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The case remains under investigation, with multiple charge sheets already filed by both the CBI and the ED.
According to PTI, both Purvi Modi and her husband Maiank Mehta have already turned approver in a related money laundering case, being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). This development indicates their cooperation with authorities in the ongoing investigations related to the PNB fraud case. Both were named as accused in the alleged banking fraud, which is being investigated separately by the CBI and the ED.
As reported by PTI, Nirav Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi and others are being probed by the ED on money laundering charges since 2018 for allegedly perpetrating an over USD 2 billion (more than ₹13,000 crore) bank fraud. The alleged fraud was committed in connivance with bank officials and by issuance of fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) at the Brady House PNB branch in Mumbai. The Punjab National Bank fraud case, one of India's largest banking scams, surfaced in 2018. According to investigators, the accused allegedly conspired with bank officials at PNB's Brady House branch in Mumbai to obtain fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs), which were then used to secure overseas credit from foreign banks without proper authorisation.
The ED has alleged that Modi diverted around ₹1,201.18 crore (USD 175.1 million) through his sister Purvi, as reported by PTI. In its prosecution complaint, the ED claimed that Purvi was an active participant in the generation of proceeds of crime and the activity of money laundering. The ED alleged that Purvi was a director in Dubai- and Hong Kong-based companies that received funds obtained through Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) by Nirav Modi. However, Purvi has maintained that she had no knowledge of these transactions, claiming in her reply filed before the designated court that she had nothing to do with the alleged proceeds of crime.
