PNB scam: ED refuses to share details of Nirav and Mehul's seized assets

The Enforcement Directorate has refused to disclose under the RTI Act the assets of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi seized during its probe into the over $2 billion scam in the Punjab National Bank (PNB).

However, it had earlier made public on Twitter that assets worth Rs 76.6 billion had been attached in connection with the cases involving the uncle-nephew duo of Modi and Choksi.

The central agency has also refused to disclose expenses incurred on attempts to bring back the two billionaire diamantaires who had fled the country in the first week of January, days before the PNB approached the CBI reporting the biggest scam in the banking industry in India.

Modi was last seen in a group photograph of CEOs with the Prime Minister in Davos which was issued by the Press Information Bureau in January.

The immunity given to the Enforcement Directorate under Section 24 of the RTI Act does not cover information pertaining to alleged corruption.

The CBI has booked Choksi and Modi on corruption and fraud charges.

Vihar Dhurve, a Pune-based activist, had sought information from the ED on its officials’ travel expenses, lawyers’ consultation fee paid in India and abroad to bring back Choksi and Modi.