Nirav Modi, the fugitive diamond merchant jailed in London facing extradition to India, would have never expected his sister Purvi to turn approver in a money laundering case against him. It didn’t stop at that. On June 24, Purvi not only informed the Enforcement Directorate of a benami account of her brother in a London bank operated in her name, but also transferred £1.7 million from it to the government of India.
“On June 24, Purvi Modi informed the ED that she came to know of one bank account in London in her name, which was opened at the behest of her brother, Nirav Modi, and that the funds did not belong to her,” the ED said in a statement.
As Purvi was allowed a ‘tender of pardon’ (approver) on conditions of making full and true disclosure, Purvi remitted an amount of $23,16,889 from her UK bank account to the account of the government of India,” the ED said. The Enforcement Directorate further said it was with Purvi’s cooperation that it managed to recover £1.7 million from the ‘proceeds of crime’.
The ED has filed two chargesheets in the Nirav Modi case in which he and his family members are accused, including Purvi and her husband. The two chargesheets were filed in 2018 and 2019 before a special PMLA court. Purvi Modi, alias Purvi Mehta, and her husband Maiank Mehta have been cited as accused in both the chargesheets.
In January, a special PMLA court in Mumbai allowed Purvi and Maiank Mehta to turn approvers under Sections 306 and 307 of CrPC “on condition of making full and true disclosure” in the money laundering case and cooperate with the ED’s investigation.
