PNB case: Court issues notice to CBI on plea by Mehul Choksi

A special court on Monday issued notice to the CBI on an application by fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi who termed the investigation into the PNB scam case as 'incomplete" and sought further probe.

The plea filed by Mehul Choski's counsel Vijay Agarwal came up for hearing before Special CBI Judge UM Mudholkar, who posted the matter for hearing to June 17.

"There has been an incomplete investigation of various vital aspects by the investigating officer. The IO has submitted an incomplete charge sheet before the court without making proper and complete investigation," the application said.

It contended that the incomplete investigation led to the "failure" of Choksi's business. "The failure of the applicant's business was termed as 'fraud' by the CBI. The flaws were on the part of the bank and the auditors and not the accused," the plea submitted.

The petitioner claimed that "false" FIRs were filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against him on February 2 and February 15, 2018.

Speaking to ANI, Choksi's counsel Vijay Agarwal said, "We moved an application in the court today contending that no lapses were made on the part of my client. In fact, they were made on the part of Punjab National Bank (PNB) officers and auditors... We explained several lapses to the judge during the hearing, which had been ignored by the investigating officer."

Mehul Choksi and nephew Nirav Modi are key accused in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case. They fled the country a year ago. The scam is estimated at USD two billion.

Choksi was granted citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda on January 15, 2018.

On March 22, Choksi had moved an application before the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, stating his long history of heart ailment and a blood clot in the brain as the reason for not being able to appear before it.