Rs 11,000 crore fraud and an absconding billionaire

Raids conducted at home, showrooms and offices of super rich jeweller Nirav Modi

GN Bureau | February 15, 2018


#Punjab National Bank   #PNB Scam   #Nirav Modi  


Investigating agencies are looking for Nirav Modi, a billionaire jeweller, after Punjab National Bank reported a massive fraud of Rs 11,000 crore at a branch in Mumbai.

The story so far:


Nirav Modi is the founder of Firestar Diamond which has its footprints in London, New York, Las Vegas, Hawai, Singapore, Beijing and Macau.

What happened?

PNB informed the Bombay Stock Exchange on Wednesday of fraudulent transactions worth over Rs 11,000 crore in its south Mumbai branch.

Earlier on January 31, Modi, along with his wife Ami Modi, brother Nishal Modi and maternal uncle Mehul Choksi were booked by the CBI for allegedly cheating PNB of over Rs 280 crore in 2017.

So, what did sleuths do?

Nirav Modi's home, showrooms and offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Surat were searched by the Enforcement Directorate.

A dozen properties were searched, including Nirav Modi's home in Mumbai's Kurla, his jewellery boutique in Kala Ghoda, and showrooms in Chanakyapuri and Defence Colony in Delhi.

But, where is Nirav Modi?

Times Now referred to media reports that suggested the billionaire diamond trader fled from India before an FIR could be filed against him by the Punjab National Bank.

Is he the first super rich to flee?

No, there are others too. Vijay Mallya fled to London, Lalit Modi is in Britain, Deepak Talwar in UAE and Sanjay Bhandari reportedly fled through Nepal.

What does PNB say?

PNB chief Sunil Mehta assured that the bank was committed to clean and responsible banking. PNB will take full responsibility if investigations place the onus of the fraud on the bank, he said. The bank will conduct a forensic audit if the need arises, reported moneycontrol.com citing Mehta

What is the political reaction?


“Is it possible to believe that he or vijay mallya left the country without active connivance of BJP govt?,” tweeted Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi tweeted: “Guide to Looting India by Nirav MODI 1.   Hug PM Modi 2.  Be seen with him in DAVOS Use that clout to: A. Steal 12,000Cr B. Slip out of the country like Mallya, while the Govt looks the other way.”

 

Comments

 

Other News

Report of India’s G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure released

The final ‘Report of India’s G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure’ by ‘India’s G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure for Economic Transformation, Financial Inclusion and Development’ was released in New Delhi on Monday. The Task Force was led by the

How the Great War of Mahabharata was actually a world war

Mahabharata: A World War By Gaurang Damani Sanganak Prakashan, 317 pages, Rs 300 Gaurang Damani, a Mumbai-based el

Budget expectations, from job creation to tax reforms…

With the return of the NDA to power in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, all eyes are now on finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s full budget for the FY 2024-25. The interim budget presented in February was a typical vote-on-accounts, allowing the outgoing government to manage expenses in

How to transform rural landscapes, design 5G intelligent villages

Futuristic technologies such as 5G are already here. While urban users are reaping their benefits, these technologies also have a potential to transform rural areas. How to unleash that potential is the question. That was the focus of a workshop – “Transforming Rural Landscape:

PM Modi visits Rosatom Pavilion at VDNKh in Moscow

Prime minister Narendra Modi, accompanied by president Vladimir Putin, visited the All Russian Exhibition Centre, VDNKh, in Moscow Tuesday. The two leaders toured the Rosatom Pavilion at VDNKh. The Rosatom pavilion, inaugurated in November 2023, is one of the largest exhibitions on the histo

Let us pledge to do what we can for environment: President

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday morning spent some time at the sea beach of the holy city of Puri, a day after participating in the annual Rath Yatra. Later she penned her thoughts about the experience of being in close commune with nature. In a message posted on X, she said:

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter