PNB Fraud Case: CBI Detains Senior Official of Gitanjali Group From Mumbai Airport

Mumbai, March 6: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday detained Vice President of Banking Operations in Mehul Choksi's Gitanjali Group, Vipul Chitalia, from Mumbai airport. The case relates t

Mumbai, March 6: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday detained Vice President of Banking Operations in Mehul Choksi’s Gitanjali Group, Vipul Chitalia, from Mumbai airport. The case relates to the over Rs 12,700 crore fraud at Punjab National Bank by diamond merchant Nirav Modi and his uncle Choksi with the alleged involvement of a few bank employees.

On March 3, a special court had issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against Modi and Choksi in the alleged scam. (Also read: My Fate Was Already Decided in PNB Fraud Case, Says Nirav Modi)

On March 1, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached 41 properties worth Rs 1217.20 crore of Choksi. The attached properties include 15 flats, 17 office premises in Mumbai and M/s Hyderabad Gems SEZ in Andhra Pradesh. (Also read: Cannot Confirm Report of Nirav Modi in The Country, Says US)

It also includes a shopping mall in Kolkata, farm house in Alibaug and 231 acres land in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. (Also read: Nirav Modi’s CA Was Aware of Unsecured Loans Amounting Rs 5,100 Cr, Alleges CBI)

Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had said that PNB reported scam of Rs 1251 crore by Gitanjali Gems.

In a statement, the CBI had said, “The PNB has informed us that further scam of Rs 1,251 crore has been detected in respect to Gitanjali Gems. The CBI is now probing Rs. 12,636 crore in the PNB scam, up from Rs 11,421 crore.”

Celebrity jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul choksi are being investigated by the ED and other investigative agencies ever since the PNB scam came to light.

With inputs from Agencies