Mehul Choksi not in US: Interpol

The Interpol Washington has said that absconding diamantaire Nirav Modi's uncle Mehul Choksi is not in the United States.

According to government sources, the Interpol Washington responded to India's request last Wednesday stating that Choksi is not in the US. India has written back to the Interpol seeking further details of Choksi's whereabouts, the sources added.

On June 11, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed two separate applications in a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mumbai against Nirav and Choksi under Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, 2018.

The ED also sought orders for confiscation of their assets in India, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

Sources said, Nirav has not sought political asylum in the UK. The 47-year-old is reportedly in the UK and needs to be extradited. A non-bailable warrant (NBW) has already been issued against him.

The Interpol had earlier issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against him in connection with the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam. The RCN has also been issued against Nirav's brother Nishal Modi and his company's executive Subhash Parab in connection with the scam.

On June 28, an official of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India requested a group of countries to deny Nirav's entry. The MEA also sought assistance from some European countries including France, the UK and Belgium to trace and restrict Nirav's movements.

The PNB detected the multi-crore scam earlier this year wherein Nirav and Choksi had allegedly cheated the bank to the tune of USD 2 billion, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank.