Antigua, Sep 11: Diamond jewellery businessman Mehul Choksi on Tuesday held Punjab National Bank (PNB) responsible for misinforming the probe agencies and said no company should be dealt the way he has been dealt all this while. In the latest video released by ANI, Choksi said he is undergoing a media trial in connection with the alleged USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam.

"I am under media trial. Until last December, there was no bad name and mine was one of the leading companies in India. If I was such a bad man as they are portraying then why were all the media running after me for business? Also, when they call me fugitive, scamster or fraudster - it hurts me very badly", Choksi said in the video.

The fugitive diamantaire added that it was unprecedented how his company came to a complete standstill without thorough investigation. "I was not in India as I was having my medical procedure at that particular time. The agencies seized nearly Rs 6,000 crore of my merchandise and properties. There were three agencies raiding me at that time- the CBI, the ED and the Income Tax (I-T)", he said.

Choksi said he had asked PNB why this happened, and why his name was involved in the scam. To this, the Bank said that according to their old KYC of 95 or 93, his name was there and hence they carried on with what they had. "I had retired from this company in 2000. They misinformed the agencies and I asked the PNB to look into the matter, but they recalled all my facilities (three companies)", Choksi added.

Choksi further claimed the PNB had said that they would like to sit down and resolve the matter in response to a letter written by his company. "I was in terror at that time. I was in the hospital and advised my company to talk to PNB about it. We wrote a letter to PNB and got an answer on February 13 that they would like to sit down and resolve the matter", he said.

Choksi said even after that he was surprised that raids never stopped and they seized nearly Rs 5,000 crores worth of his merchandise. I was shocked at the event. "Just after three or four days, I got a new FIR on my three companies. I solely make PNB responsible for misinforming the agency, but more than this, it is unprecedented how my company came to a standstill without deep investigation," he said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 11, 2018 11:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).