Mehul Choksi

The Central agency's reply came in response to an application filed by Nitin Shahi, a former assistant finance manager with Choksi's Gitanjali Group, who is one of the accused.

Choksi, who is one of the key people accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank of $2 billion, fled India before the accusations surfaced last year.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had moved the special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act seeking to declare Modi and Choksi as fugitive economic offenders (FEAs).

An official from Antigua's PMO said that his government would wish him (Choksi) gone, as he “brings nothing to Antigua but unwanted publicity”

A multi-agency probe is already underway into the fraud, which was mainly perpetrated by way of fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs).

On this episode of Digging Deeper, we look into why was it so easy for Vijay Mallya to leave the country unchecked.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley allowed the jewellers to flee the country.

The crucial report was finalised eight months before the PNB scam came to light, but was not shared with other agencies as there was 'no protocol' for such sharing at that time

The move comes against the backdrop of defaults by Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi and thereafter, fleeing the country.

Choksi is not fit to travel, so his statement can be recorded through video conferencing or ED officers can visit Antigua and take his statement, Choksi's lawyer told court.

The beneficiaries of these assets put under attachment, they said, are absconding diamond jeweller Mehul Choksi, Mihir Bhansali, a close aide and US-based executive of main accused in the case Nirav Modi, and a company named A P Gems and Jewellery Park.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met Foreign Minister of Antigua and Barbuda E P Chet Greene here on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly and raised the extradition issue of Choksi, who is currently in the Caribbean island.

On May 22 this year, after taking cognisance of the second charge sheet filed in the Rs 12,636-crore PNB fraud case by the CBI, the special court had issued the NBW against Choksi.

The agency, which is probing the $2 billion (about Rs 13,000 crore) alleged bank fraud that also involved his nephew Nirav Modi, said Choksi was "using several dummy companies" to rotate funds and to divert money for his personal use.

The fugitive jeweller also claimed that he did not get any response from authorities after his passport was suspended

MCA had sought to freeze the property of all directors of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi's firms following the Punjab National Bank fraud.

They said a detailed request for issuance of the arrest warrant against Choksi by the global police body was sent in June, soon after the ED filed a charge sheet against him in a Mumbai court.

The CBI has given a very strong rebuttal to the claims of the fugitive billionaire who is alleged to be the mastermind of India's biggest financial scam running into over 2 Billion USD in Punjab National Bank, the officials said.

Official sources said the ED will now move to seize these properties and put up its possession signages at these locations.

Congress leader Pawan Khera, in a statement, claimed that "serious proofs" have come to light that show that "every concerned agency was aware about the serious complaints pending against the runaway diamond trader".