Jewellery worth ₹2.5-cr seized from Geetanjali store in Udhampur

THE FRANCHISEE OF NIRAV MODI’S BRAND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A LOCAL BUSINESSMAN RAVI KUMAR GUPTA OF UDHAMPUR

JAMMU: The Enforcement Directorate seized diamond worth ₹2.50 crore in a raid that was launched on Friday night and ended on Saturday evening on Geetanjali Jewellers, a franchise of diamond czar Nirav Modi, in Udhampur town.

The franchisee of Modi’s brand has been identified as Ravi Kumar Gupta, of Udhampur, a local businessman.

The two fugitives Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi have fled the country before Punjab National Bank could detect a scam of ₹11,500 crore committed by the duo.

“We started raids on Friday night and it continued till Saturday evening. We have seized diamonds lumineux jewelleries worth ₹2.50 crore and other requisite records from the outlet,” said a senior officer of the Enforcement Directorate, who was associated with the raids.

He informed that the franchisee has not been taken into custody and the raid was confined to seizures and scanning the records of the Geetanjali Jewellers.

“A detailed inventory of the seizure has been prepared. It has not been sent as yet to the ED headquarters. We are waiting for further instructions,” he added.

Udhampur SSP Mohammed Rayees Bhat confirmed, “No arrests have been made as yet in the case.”