ED seeks Interpol warrant against Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has moved the Interpol for issuance of a red corner notice against diamond traders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi in connection with the multi-crore PNB scam.

Sources said the agency had sought issuance of the Interpol warrant against the two, based on court-issued non-bailable warrants obtained by it in a money laundering case.

The agency is understood to have sent the request to the CBI, nodal agency for the Interpol in India, for taking it up with the Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France.

A red corner notice (RCN) is issued to “seek the location and arrest of wanted persons with a view to extradition or similar lawful action” in a criminal case probe.

“Once an RCN is issued, the Interpol seeks to arrest the person concerned in any part of the world and notifies that country to take his or her custody for further action at their end,” sources said.

A special court in Mumbai had issued non-bailable warrants early this month on the request of the ED. The ED had earlier issued summonses to Modi and Choksi — the key accused in the scam — asking them to appear before it in Mumbai. However, both of them expressed their inability to depose citing business engagements. Both are accused on charges of money laundering (under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act) in alleged connivance with some employees of PNB and have been stated by probe agencies to have left India before criminal charges were pressed against them. The CBI too is probing the case.

Meanwhile, diamond traders, including Modi, Choksi, Jatin Mehta, and embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya are among 31 business people facing a CBI investigation who are fugitives abroad, the government told Parliament on Wednesday.

Mr Modi and Mr Choksi are the key accused in the mult-crore PNB scam. Also on the list is Nirav Modi’s wife, Ami.