ED attaches Nirav Modi's foreign assets worth Rs 637 cr
New Delhi, Oct 1: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Monday it has attached foreign properties of fugitive diamond jeweller Nirav Modi worth Rs 637 crore in its ongoing investigation into the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud.
A senior ED official said that the financial probe agency has been working in close coordination with other foreign agencies in order to identify and attach foreign properties of Nirav Modi kept secret at various international locations.
The attached properties were in the form of jewellery, bank accounts and immovable properties.
The official also said that it has brought diamond jewellery worth Rs 22.69 crore back to India from Hong Kong.
According to the ED, a stock of jewellery was exported to Hong Kong after a case was registered against Nirav Modi by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in January.
This was kept in a vault of a private company in Hong Kong on behalf of Nirav Modi.
"The agency contacted the company and its London headquarters and after much persuasion and follow up, it successfully brought back the jewellery to India," the official said.
He also said that the stock value of the jewellery was around Rs 85 crore and the jewellery was sent to Hong Kong by Firestar Group of Companies. On independent valuation, the value of jewellery came to Rs 22.69 crore.
The ED has also attached a flat in south Mumbai worth Rs 19.5 crore which was on the name of Nirav Modi's sister Purvi, who is a Belgian national.
The official said that the flat was purchased by Purvi in 2017 and the deed was signed by Nirav modi's brother Neeshal, who is also a Belgian national and who held a power of attorney.
"But the consideration of the flat was paid by Purvi through her Barclays Bank account maintained in Singapore," the official said.
Meanwhile, the agency also attached five bank accounts containing over Rs 278 crore, belonging to Nirav Modi, Purvi and others in the case.
Interpol has issued an RCN against Nirav Modi, Neeshal, Purvi and his executive Subhash Parab.
Interpol on Monday on the request of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ED issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against Nirav Modi's trusted official Aditya Nanavati in the PNB fraud.
According to CBI sources, Nanavati's links with Neeshal have been found.
Nanavati used to head the operations of the Firestar Diamond's business in Hong Kong. It is learnt that he was also in Belgium.
Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi of Gitanjali Group are under probe by both the CBI and ED. The ED had on May 24 and 26 filed the charge-sheets against both.
Non-bailable warrants have been issued against them.
Nirav Modi left India along with his family in the first week of January, before the scam was reported to the CBI.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
