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PNB Fraud: Delhi High Court Seeks ED Reply On Plea By Mehul Choksi’s Firm 

Delhi Court sought ED’s response on a plea by Gitanjali Gems challenging the seizure of documents by CBI.

A woman walks past a Gitanjali Gems Ltd. Giantti store in Mumbai, India. (Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg)
A woman walks past a Gitanjali Gems Ltd. Giantti store in Mumbai, India. (Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg)

The Delhi High Court today sought the Enforcement Directorate’s response on a plea by diamantaire Mehul Choksi's firm Gitanjali Gems in a money laundering case in connection with the over Rs 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank fraud case.

Justices S Muralidhar and IS Mehta issued notice to the enforcement directorate, which was represented through advocate Amit Mahajan, on the plea challenging the alleged illegal seizure of documents and articles by the probe agency.

The court said it will hear the matter along with a similar pending plea of billionaire Nirav Modi's firm Firestar Diamond on April 11.

Advocate Sanjay Abott, appearing for Gitanjali Gems, sought direction to quash the enforcement directorate's move of seizing the firm’s moveable properties.

Nirav, his uncle Choksi and others are being investigated by multiple probe agencies after the scam came to light in February, following a complaint by Punjab National Bank that they had allegedly cheated the nationalised bank to the tune of Rs 11,400 crore, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank.

The enforcement directorate has registered the money laundering case against Nirav Modi, his firms and others on the basis of Central Bureau of Investigation’s first information report.