Acting on the provisional attachment order issued by India's Enforcement Directorate, Swiss authorities have frozen four bank accounts of PNB scam accused Nirav Modi and his sister Purvi having deposits of over £28.31 million.
Official sources said while the accounts of Nirav Modi, the diamantaire under arrest in this case in London, have deposits of $3,74,11,596 while the accounts in the name of his sister Purvi Modi has deposits of £27,38,136. This totals around £28.31 million, they said. The central probe agency is expected to now make a move for the attachment of these bank accounts under the PMLA.
The ED had registered a case on February 14, 2018 against Modi and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and conducted nationwide searches. The ED along with the CBI are investigating Nirav Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi and others for alleged money laundering and corruption to defraud the Brady House branch of the PNB in Mumbai to the tune of over £1.3 billion.
Meanwhile, the 48-year-old appeared at Westminster magistrates’ court via videolink from Wandsworth Prison requesting the need of a laptop in jail so that he can sift through more than 5,000 pages of evidence which the government of India has served on him. In response to which the court asked the prison authorities to do all it can to facilitate his consideration of 5,000 papers so that he can give proper instructions for the July 29 hearing.
No date has been set for Nirav’s extradition trial. The Indian government needs to serve its positioning statement by July 11, ahead of the first case management hearing on July 29. Nirav was remanded in custody until July 25, when he will appear via videolink.
