Mumbai, May 23: After CBI started a probe against Nirav Modi, his entire team made an effort to destroy evidence of Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam. According to a report published in The Times of India, The diamond merchant’s team led by Vipul Ambani hid over 50 cartons of documents related to three companies — Diamonds R US, Stellar Diamonds and Solar Exports, including the applications of Letters of Understanding (LoUs) in the offices of law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) at Peninsula Corporate Park, Lower Parel, Mumbai, in mid-February.

CBI has recorded statements of Rahul Sisodiya, a junior accountant in Modi’s company, and peon-cum-office boy Ravindra Dinkar Hindelkar during its probe into the scam. These two are important witnesses in the case.

The statements reveal interesting details about the ‘conspiracy’ to remove evidence. These statements were submitted in the court along with the charge sheets. In the statement accessed by TOI, Sisodiya who joined Nirav Modi’s company in 2016 said, “On February 14, 2018, Miten Pandya (employee of Modi who was arrested and charge-sheeted by CBI), instructed me, Ravindra (the peon) and other 2-3 office boys of Firestar Group, to shift the documents, which included the office copies of applications of LoUs and other items viz. stationery, rubber stamps etc. lying in the office of Diamonds R US. There were about 50-60 cartons of documents that needed to be shifted.”

The first FIR was registered by CBI in the Rs 13,758 scam on January 3, by that time Modi had already left the country. Sisodiya also said that after the documents reached CAM officer, they were instructed to sort all the document after year-wise and party-wise. Similarly, the other witness Ravindra also confirmed his involvement in the transfer of documents in February from Diamond R US office to CAM office, reported TOI.

Vipul Ambani’s name has been in the chargesheet. According to the report, CBI has also recorded statements of six others in the case. These six persons were made partners in Nirav Modi’s companies which were formed only with with the aim to get loans from the bank. They were also paid Rs 10,000 per month remuneration. The only job of the ‘so-called’ partners was to sign cheques, partnership documents and other papers, whenever asked. In some of these companies, the diamond merchant kept only one percent share. However, Vijay Aggarwal, counsel for five private persons from Modi’s companies hit out at the CBI for not investigating the case properly.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 23, 2018 11:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).