PNB fraud: Interpol issues red corner notice against Nirav's sister
New Delhi, Sep 10 : Interpol has issued a red corner notice (RCN) against Purvi Deepak Modi, sister of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi who is wanted in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, officials said on Monday.
According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) the Interpol issued the RCN against Purvi Modi on the charge of money laundering, as requested by it.
In August, a special court in Mumbai had issued public summons to Nirav Modi's sister Purvi and brother Neeshal, who are Belgian citizens, to appear before it on September 25. The court also said that if they fail to appear then their properties would be confiscated under the newly enacted fugitive offenders act.
According to ED officials, Purvi Modi and other family members of Nirav Modi were the recipients of the proceeds of the crime.
Last week, Interpol issued a RCN against Nirav Modi's close aide Mihir Bhansali in connection with the case.
Bhansali, who was an executive in Nirav Modi's Firestar International firm, is absconding since the probe started in the alleged $2 billion PNB fraud case.
The RCN is issued to seek the location and arrest of wanted person(s) with a view to extradition or similar lawful action.
The ED wants to question Purvi Modi and Bhansali to unearth further details of the fraud committed by Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi of the Gitanjali group to cheat the Mumbai-based PNB's Brady House branch.
The Interpol, in its notice, requested its 192 member countries to arrest or detain Bhansali so that his extradition process could begin.
The Interpol has issued a similar notice against Nirav Modi, who as well as his family and uncle Choksi left the country in January, a month before the fraud came to light.
The notice mentions Bhansali's birth place Mumbai and gives his date of birth as November 15, 1977. Purvi Modi's photo is also pasted on the notice.
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People must do politics; elected representatives must work, says Actor Prakash Raj
Kalaburagi: Actor and activist Prakash Raj has said that in a democracy, politics must be done by the people, while elected representatives are meant to work and serve after winning elections.
Speaking at the launch of Vartha Bharati's Kalyana Karnataka edition in Kalaburagi on Saturday, Prakash Raj said that once representatives are elected, their only responsibility is service. “This is our tax, our country. Service is the only job of people’s representatives. They come to seek votes every five years; the people do not,” he said.
Releasing the newspaper’s special issue at the event, he asserted that the distinction between people and politicians must never be reversed. “This is our country. Citizens must continuously engage in politics, and politicians must continuously work. Never change this order. Politics belongs to the people,” he said.
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Quoting writer P. Lankesh, Prakash Raj said newspapers, media, artists, and citizens must act as a permanent opposition. “They must be the voice of the people without seeking the patronage of the ruling party. Only then can they work fearlessly,” he said. He stressed the need to clearly tell today’s society who must engage in politics.
Referring to regional imbalance, he said Karnataka has become Bengaluru-centric and confined largely to southern Karnataka. With Vartha Bharati entering the Kalyana Karnataka region, he said the newspaper must contribute to the region’s development by consistently reporting its issues with a strong voice.
Prakash Raj also spoke about the role of independent media, saying that anyone can be swept away in a flood, including dead fish, but to swim against the current requires life. “Independent media have that life. Ravish Kumar, The Wire, and Vartha Bharati have the courage to swim against the flood,” he said.
He warned that fear strengthens authoritarianism. “If we are not afraid, they will be afraid,” he said, alleging that institutions such as the police, Election Commission, courts, and media are being pressured, silenced, and manipulated for political benefit. Expressing concern over the denial of bail to Umar Khalid, he said there is a visible lack of conscience in institutions meant to deliver justice to the people.
Recalling the early years after Independence, Prakash Raj said there was once fear of the police but also faith in the judiciary. “There was confidence that injustice would be addressed in court. Today, that faith no longer exists,” he said. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party are responsible for the present situation.
Using a metaphor, he said India is like a pond disturbed by a demon within it. “A lotus blooms on the surface, that is the BJP. We are fighting the lotus, but the real fight should be against the RSS, the root power beneath,” he said.
Drawing parallels with past global authoritarian regimes, he said leaders like Hitler and Mussolini headed political parties and could be defeated electorally. “The RSS is not a political party. Defeating the BJP alone is not enough. The roots must be uprooted,” he said, adding that despite changes in appearance, the ideological growth remains unchanged.
Prakash Raj also raised concerns over Hindi imposition, delimitation, and what he described as political oppression of southern states such as Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh in the name of elections. He said people must recognise who is responsible for this oppression and understand the role of newspapers like Vartha Bharati in identifying and exposing it.
The event also marked the formal launch of Vartha Bharati's Kalyana Karnataka edition in Kalaburagi.
