Proclamation order issued against Nirav Modi, two others
The court has directed these persons to remain present before it on January 15, 2020 failing which the court will declare them proclaimed offenders.
Mumbai: A designated CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) court Wednesday directed the issuance of a proclamation against fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, his brother Neeshal, and a close aide Subhash Parab in connection with the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, if they failed to appear before the court next month.
The court has directed these persons to remain present before it on January 15, 2020 failing which the court will declare them proclaimed offenders.
As per the law, once a court issues a proclamation order, the accused needs to remain present before it within the stipulated deadline failing which, the court can proceed to declare the accused a proclaimed offender.
Once a person is declared a proclaimed offender, the probe agency can begin confiscation of his properties in India.
Special CBI Judge V.C. Barde, on the CBI’s plea, issued the proclamation order against Nirav Modi, his brother Neeshal, and close confidante Subhash Parab, directing them to remain present before the CBI court by mid-January.
CBI in its plea had contended that Nirav Modi was arrested in London and his extradition process was pending, whereas the whereabouts of Neeshal and Parab were not known.
Earlier, in its plea seeking to attach the property of the three accused, the CBI had said that they left the country before the case was registered, so the warrants against them could not be executed.
Meanwhile, a special Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) Act court here is likely to pass order Thursday on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) plea to declare Nirav Modi a fugitive economic offender in the case.
Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are the prime accused in the case and Choksi has challenged the PMLA court’s proceedings to declare him a fugitive economic offender.