Notices issued against Nirav Modi’s siblings under fugitive Act

Thursday 16th August 2018 03:28 EDT
 
 

A special Fugitive Economic Offenders Act court issued public summons to absconding diamantaire Nirav Modi's brother and sister. It said if they fail to appear, their assets will be confiscated under the newly enacted Act aimed at curbing big ticket economic crimes. Special Judge for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases in Mumbai, MS Azmi issued three public notices in leading dailies naming Modi's sister Purvi Modi and brother Neeshal Modi as they have been “enumerated as an interested person” in an application made under the new Act by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against the diamond merchant.

Both of them have been charged by the ED to have indulged in money laundering and subsequently, escaping from India as the alleged scam came to light. The notice causes the siblings to explain as to “why the properties mentioned in the application, in which your pecuniary interest and/or otherwise, should not be confiscated under the said Ordinance (now the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act).” The court has asked them to appear before it on September 25, the same date on which Nirav has also been summoned by it under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.

The third public notice against Modi, the main accused in a $2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, asked him to depose on the same date and time as it said that he is accused in a money laundering case and “as you have left India and are refusing to come back to face trial in that case, you should be declared a fugitive under the above-mentioned Ordinance (now the Act).” The judge said, “I issue notice to you to show cause as to why the said application for declaring you a fugitive should not be allowed as to why the properties mentioned in the application, in which you have pecuniary interest and/or otherwise, should not be confiscated under the said Ordinance (now the Act).”

“I, therefore, direct Nirav Deepak Modi to remain present before me... on or before September 25 at 11 AM falling which the said application shall be proceeded with as per the Ordinance/Rules thereafter,” the notice said. The same court had issued the summons on July 25 to Modi after the ED made an application seeking to declare the designer diamond jeweller a “fugitive economic offender”. It had issued a similar notice of appearance under the fugitive law against Modi's uncle and co-accused in the case Mehul Choksi and had asked him to appear before in the next day on September 26.

The ED had moved the court seeking to declare the diamond traders as “fugitive economic offenders” and to confiscate their assets worth £350 million in the case. It had filed two separate applications against them.


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