PNB moves Hong Kong HC against Nirav

NEW DELHI: The Punjab National Bank (PNB) has filed a recovery case in the Hong Kong high court against diamond merchant Nirav Modi and his companies.

“We have filed a recovery writ in Hong Kong recently,” said a PNB official who spoke on the condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media. Indian investigating agencies suspect that Nirav is in Hong Kong and Indian government had sent a request for provisional arrest of the diamond merchant there in the last week of March. Nirav and maternal uncle Mehul Choksi have been accused by PNB of defrauding it to the tune of over ₹13,000 in connection with issuance of letters of credit and letter of undertakings. PNB officials familiar with the matter said they would pursue Nirav to all corners of the world and use all legal options to recover the money.

Both Nirav and Choksi left India in the first week of January and have not returned so far despite getting repeated summons from CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED), which are probing them for bribing bank officials and money laundering.

ED has also approached the Interpol for issuance of Red Notice against both of them.