PNB Scam: Mehul Choksi's extradition gets difficult as he relinquishes 'Indian citizenship'

The Indian government has been making consistent efforts of extraditing Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi, both of whom are allegedly accused in the multi crore PNB fraud case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 4 attached a factory in Thailand worth over Rs 13 crore of a Gitanjali group company, owned by absconding Mehul Choksi.

New Delhi: In a fresh blow to the Indian government, Punjab National Bank scam main accused diamantaire Mehul Choksi has relinquished his Indian citizenship and has acquired an Antigua passport. The development has made it difficult for the Indian government authorities to extradite him. As per reports, Choksi received Antigua citizenship in 2017, when he fled from India after his alleged involvement in the PNB Bank fraud scam.  Now, the PMO has sought a report on the same. Mehul Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi both are main accused him Rs13,700 crore Punjab National Bank scam. The government has been making consistent efforts of extraditing Choksi and Modi. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 4 attached a factory in Thailand worth over Rs 13 crore of a Gitanjali group company, owned by absconding Mehul Choksi. The agency said it has issued a provisional order for attachment, under the PMLA, of the factory premise owned by Abbeycrest (Thailand) Limited which is a "group company" of the Gitanjali group of companies. "Investigations under PMLA revealed that Abbeycrest (Thailand) Limited is the beneficiary of the LoUs (Letters of Undertaking) issued fraudulently and unauthorisedly from the PNB to the tune of Rs 92.3 crore.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on #MehulChoksi : Our govt has passed Fugitive Economic Offenders bill. Those who have fled, will be brought back. It might take some time but they all will be brought back. pic.twitter.com/w3IinkbmlC

— ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019

The value of the property is Rs 13.14 crore, it added. The ED is probing this case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).