ED provisionally attaches Nirav Modi’s assets worth Rs 170 cr in PNB scam: report

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday has reportedly provisionally attached assets of businessman Nirav Modi in wake of Rs 13,400 crore PNB scam. According to an Indian Express report, ED has attached Nirav Modi's assets worth over Rs 170 crore. 

According to the report, the assets of Nirav Modi include four properties owned by Modi’s firms Firestar International Pvt Ltd and Paundra Enterprises Pvt Ltd in Mumbai and Surat worth Rs 72 crore.

Besides this, ED has also provisionally attached 11 vehicles worth Rs 4.01 crore owned by firms of Modi. Some of these include a Rs 1.90 crore Rolls Royce-Ghost owned by Firestone International Pvt Ltd, Rs 78 lakh Porsche AG belonging to Firestar International, two Mercedes Benz owned each by Modi and Camelot Enterprises, the publication stated.

Earlier, ED has issued summons to absconding billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi's father Deepak Modi, sister Purvi Mehta and her husband Mayank Mehta to probe their role in the entire scam worth around Rs 20,000 crore.

"The family members are required to be questioned as a number of financial transactions and Modi's businesses are linked to them," said a senior ED officer, adding that they also summoned Nirav's brother Nishal Modi and Mihir Bhansali, who is the director of the jeweller's US-based firm Firestar Diamond Inc under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The summons were sent through e-mail as all the five people are settled abroad. They have been asked to depose before the investigating officer in Mumbai in the next few days.

"Deepak is suspected to be in Antwerp in Belgium, Nishal and Bhansali could be in the US and the Mehtas in Hong Kong. However, their current locations are not exactly known and hence, summonses have been sent through e-mail," the officer added.

Prior to this, the ED had summoned Nirav and his uncle Mehul Choksi in a similar way but they did not depose before it citing business engagements and the revocation of their passports by the government.

The Central Bureau of Investigation and the ED have registered three cases against Nirav and Mehul in PNB scam. Earlier this week, the CBI had filed two charge sheets in the case before a Mumbai court, while the ED is expected to file its own prosecution complaint soon.

The prosecution complaint will consist of investigation details and documental evidence against Nirav and others with charges of money laundering, round-tripping and siphoning of bank loans, under PMLA. Of the fraudulent amount of Rs 12,636 crore, Modi is being probed for an amount of Rs 6,500 crore as the remaining amount has allegedly been laundered by his uncle Mehul Choksi.