PNB fraud case: Nirav Modi left India with family in January, days before FIR was filed

Billionaire diamond merchant Nirav Modi and his family had left the country in the first week of January, days before the CBI received a complaint from Punjab National Bank about fraudulent transactions in one of its Mumbai branches.

Billionaire diamond merchant Nirav Modi and his family had left the country in the first week of January. Photo: Facebook

NEW DELHI: Billionaire diamond merchant Nirav Modi and his family had left the country in the first week of January, days before the CBI received a complaint from Punjab National Bank about fraudulent transactions in one of its Mumbai branches. Nirav Modi and his brother Nishal, a Belgian citizen, had fled the country on January 1. Modi's wife Ami, a US citizen, and business partner Mehul Choksi departed on January 6. The CBI has issued a look out notice against all the four after registering the first FIR against them. A look out circular has also been issued by enforcement agencies to all exit and entry ports to inform them about the movement of an accused. The CBI on Wednesday received two fresh complaints from PNB against Modi and a jewellery company after the bank detected fraudulent transactions worth about Rs 11,500 crore. The Congress has accused the NDA government of helping Modi flee "out of the country and steal Rs 12,000 crore". "Guide to looting India by Nirav Modi--1. Hug PM Modi 2. Be seen with him in DAVOS. Use that clout to: A. Steal 12,000 crore B. Slip out of the country like Mallya, while the government looks the other way," Congress chief Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

Guide to Looting India by Nirav MODI

1. Hug PM Modi 2. Be seen with him in DAVOS Use that clout to: A. Steal 12,000Cr B. Slip out of the country like Mallya, while the Govt looks the other way. #From1MODI2another — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) February 15, 2018

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surejewala raised questions on whether Nirav Modi had been tipped off following which he left the country. "Who is Nirav Modi? The new #ModiScam? Was he tipped off like Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya to escape by someone within the government," he asked. "Has it become the norm for letting people run away with public money? Who is responsible," Surjewala tweeted. P