Mehul Choksi, the diamond tycoon embroiled in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, has stated to a special court that circumstances beyond his control have prevented his return to India, arguing against being labeled a “fugitive economic offender.” In a plea filed before the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, Choksi sought to summon documents related to the suspension of his passport and the investigation files of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Choksi, who is facing proceedings at the behest of the ED’s application to declare him a fugitive economic offender, asserted that he did not leave India to evade criminal prosecution nor is he refusing to return. He emphasized that his inability to come back to India is due to his passport being suspended by Indian authorities.
The application highlighted, “It is the specific case of the present applicant that he has neither left India to avoid criminal prosecution nor is he refusing to return to India to face criminal prosecution, but has been unable to return due to reasons beyond his control.”
Furthermore, the plea demands the court to review the ED’s investigation file to ascertain if there is any evidence indicating that Choksi was aware of the impending bank fraud investigation, which might suggest he fled the country to avoid legal consequences.
Mehul Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are central figures in a massive financial scandal involving an alleged fraud of ₹13,400 crore at Punjab National Bank, sought by both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for their roles in the case.
