Billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi failed to appear before the Enforcement Directorate on Monday, saying they were unable to do so as their “passports have been revoked”, The Indian Express reported.
“My client has received summons from the Enforcement Directorate and he has replied to it,” Sanjay Abbot, the lawyer representing Choksi told the newspaper. “He has said he cannot travel as his passport has been revoked.” Both men left India in January.
Modi and Choksi, accused of defrauding the Punjab National Bank of Rs 11,380 crore, were issued summons on Friday. The bank on Monday reportedly revealed additional fraud of Rs 1,323 crore, taking the value of scam to around Rs 12,700 crore now, The Times of India reported.
The Enforcement Directorate may now approach a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court to get non-bailable warrants against the two men. The agency has also asked the PMLA court if it could send judicial requests to six countries to get details about the businesses and assets of Modi and Choksi.
On Monday, the court allowed the plea to send the requests to authorities in Hong Kong, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Singapore and South Africa, asking them to help identify and seize Modi’s properties there, The Times of India reported.
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