Persistent health problem, can't return to India: Choksi to CBI

New Delhi: The CBI on Thursday sent fresh summons to billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi to join investigations at the earliest.

Gitanjali Gems promoter Choksi, in his seven page letter which was released by his lawyer, has said it was impossible for him to return to India and join the investigation due to the suspension of his passport and ill-health. The agency had sent three summonses on February 19, 23 and 28 asking them to join the probe. They were asked to appear on March 7.

In a detailed email reply to the CBI’s notice, Choksi said his passport has been suspended by the authorities and he was undergoing medical treatment, sources said.

Choksi said that on February 16, he received an email from the passport office which stated that his travel document has been suspended due to “security threat to India”. However, the regional passport office, Mumbai, did not give him any explanation for suspension of his passport or as to how he was a security threat.

“I am also not in a position to travel due to my persisting health problem. I had a cardiac procedure... The entire procedure could not be completed on all veins due to danger to kidney and therefore I am not allowed to travel for at least a period of four to six months,” Choksi said. A response on similar lines was received from Nirav Modi citing that he could not travel to India to join the probe.

In a terse reply, the CBI “directed” him to approach the Indian mission in the country where they were residing so that immediate arrangement can be made for their travel to India, officials said.

The agency has told him that they were “obliged to join the investigations”, they said.

The CBI had earlier asked them to join the investigation related to the $2 billion scam pertaining to fraudulent issuance of the LoUs and Letters of Credit (LCs) from Brady House branch of PNB in Mumbai in their favour, they said.