Enforcement Directorate court summons Nirav Modi and uncle Mehul Choksi

Nirav Modi (left) and Mehul Choksi

A special court in Mumbai has issued summons to jewellers Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, asking them to appear before it on September 25 and 26, respectively, failing which they would be declared fugitive economic offenders and their property would be confiscated.

Counsel for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) Advocate Hiten Venegaokar confirmed the development. ED officers said they had moved an application seeking permission to seize Nirav and Choksi's assets, estimated to be worth over Rs 3,000 crore, including their properties in the UK and UAE. Parliament passed the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill on Tuesday, under which liquor baron Vijay Mallya has been declared a fugitive.

The ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Nirav, Choksi and others in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case based on the FIR filed by the CBI.

During its probe, the ED conducted over 250 searches across the country. In the first round, it attached 21 immovable properties belonging to Nirav and companies controlled by him, valued at Rs 523.72 crore, on February 24 - six residential flats and 10 offices in Mumbai, two residential flats in Pune, one farmhouse in Alibaug, one solar power plant and a 135-acre plot in Karjat.

Earlier this month, ED also attached four commercial premises in Mumbai and Surat valued at Rs 72.87 crore, apart from 106 bank accounts having balance of Rs 55.12 crore, 15 demat accounts of Rs 35.86 crore and 11 cars valued at R4.01 crore, all totalling Rs 171.26 crore. In March, the ED along with the CBI had also attached jewellery, paintings and watches worth Rs 26 crore from Nirav's Worli residence.

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