New Delhi, May 21: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said that it has attached more properties of the absconding diamantaire Nirav Modi worth Rs 171 crore as part of its probe in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud.

"During further investigation, more properties and bank accounts beneficially owned by Nirav Modi were unearthed.

"And based on the bank statements, property documents and statements recorded of the concerned persons, under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 and the money trail derived during the course of investigation properties worth Rs 171. 26 crore in the form of movable and immovable properties has been provisionally attached," an ED official said here.

The official said that the attached properties includes four commercial premises in Mumbai and Surat (with present market value worth Rs 72.87 crore), 106 bank accounts (with account balance of Rs 55.12 crore), 15 demat accounts (with Rs 35.86 crore) and 11 cars valued at Rs 4.01 crore.

The financial probe agency's action comes after it registered a separate case against the diamond jeweller and his uncle Mehul Choksi of the Gitanjali Group for defrauding the banks to the tune of Rs 14,500 crore.

Till date, the ED has carried out searches at over 251 properties across the country and seized diamond, gold, precious and semi-precious stones, and pearls.

The ED has also attached immovable properties belonging to Nirav Modi Group and Mehul Choksi group to the tune of Rs 7,638 crore.

The fraud was committed during 2011-17 by illegally issuing Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) and Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs).

Choksi, Nirav Modi and his family fled in January around a month before the PNB filed first complaint against them about the fraud and they are still at large.

 

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Pune, Jan 10: A special court in Pune on Friday granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case related to his alleged objectionable remarks on Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar.

The MP/MLA court granted bail to the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha on a surety bond of Rs 25,000 after he appeared before it through video conferencing, his lawyer said.

Senior Congress leader Mohan Joshi stood as surety for Gandhi (54) before the court presided over by Amol Shinde, judicial magistrate (first class) and special judge for MP/MLA cases.

Advocate Milind Pawar, representing Gandhi, said soon after his client appeared before the court, they moved a bail application.

The judge allowed the plea and granted bail to the former Congress president on a surety bond of Rs 25000, he informed.

The advocate said the court also granted permanent exemption to the Lok Sabha MP from Rae Bareli from appearing before it.

The case was filed on a complaint by V D Savarkar's grandnephew Satyaki, who alleged Gandhi had made defamatory remarks against the Hindutva icon at a programme he attended in London in March 2023.

Earlier, advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, representing Satyaki Savarkar, objected to Gandhi's application seeking virtual appearance.

There was no provision that allows an accused to appear in court through video conferencing before securing bail, Kolhatkar argued.

The court, however, permitted Gandhi to attend the proceedings online.

Wearing a bottle green sweater, the Congress MP appeared before the court and stated his name when the judge asked for it.

The matter will be next heard on February 18.

As per the complaint, Gandhi, while speaking at the London event, stated that Savarkar had written in a book that he and five to six of his friends once beat up a Muslim man and he (Savarkar) felt happy.

According to the complaint, the freedom fighter had not written this anywhere and the Congress leader's remarks were aimed at defaming him.

At the time, the court had asked the Pune police to investigate the allegations and file a report.

The Vishrambaug police, after an inquiry, submitted that there was prima facie truth in the complaint.

Gandhi had skipped the previous court appearance on December 2 citing the winter session of Parliament which he was attending.

His lawyer Pawar had then assured that the opposition parliamentarian will appear in the court on January 10.