ED to quiz Nirav’s wife, freezes 44cr assets `

The ED on Friday issued summons to Nirav Modi’s wife Ami for questioning as part of its investigation into the alleged ` 11,400 crore Punjab National Bank ( PNB) fraud case. The agency also froze bank deposits and shares worth ` 44 crore of the diamantaire.

Besides summoning Ms Modi, an American citizen, the central probe agency has called his uncle and Gitanjali Gems promoter Mehul Choksi for questioning on February 26 at the ED office in Mumbai, sources said. Mr Modi, who failed to turn up for questioning on Thursday, has also been issued summons to appear before the agency on the same day.

The ED also seized a huge collection of imported watches from a workshop linked to Mr Modi. ED officials said that they have issued fresh freeze orders against his bank accounts containing ` 30 crore and shares worth ` 13.86 crore of the Nirav Modi group under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act ( PMLA). “The agency sleuths on Friday seized a large collection of imported watches, 176 steel almirahs, 158 corrugated boxes and 60 other containers after searches at multiple locations linked to Mr Modi over the last week,” sources said. The ED had on Thursday seized deposits, shares

and luxury cars worth over ` 100 crore from the businessman and his group.

The total seizure by the ED in the case now stands at ` 5,870 crore, officials claimed.

Mr Modi, Mr Choksi are being investigated by the ED and other probe agencies following a complaint by the Punjab National Bank ( PNB) that they allegedly cheated the nationalised bank to the tune of ` 11,400 crore, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank. The CBI and the ED have registered two FIRs each to probe the case. Both Mr Modi and Mr Choski are said to have left the country last month before criminal cases were lodged against them.