PNB Scam: Nirav Modi's 11 Properties in Dubai Worth Over Rs 56 Crore Seized by ED

New Delhi, November 6: A total of 11 properties linked to fraud-accused diamantaire Nirav Modi were seized by the Enforcement Directorate in Dubai, reports said on Tuesday. The assets attached were inked to Nirav's premier firm - M/s Firestar Diamond FZE. They bear a collective market value of USD 7.79 million, "which is equivalent to Rs. 56.8 crore".

The action comes a month the ED confiscated properties linked to Nirav's family in the United States. Among the assets seized included two luxury apartments in New York. The collective value of the seizures is Rs 637 crores. Deepak Kulkarni, Aide of Mehul Choksi, Arrested at Kolkata Airport in PNB Fraud Case.

The overseas attachments were cleared after the ED had obtained a provisional order for confiscation of these assets under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Nirav, along with his uncle and jeweller Mehul Choksi, continues to abscond with multiple courts in India issuing non-bailable warrants against them. The duo have been charged by the ED and the CBI of defrauding the Punjab National Bank to the tune of Rs 13,800 crores.

The purported scam came to light in January this year, when the CBI registered its FIR in the case. Nearly a fortnight before the official complaint was lodged, Nirav and Choksi, along with their families, had left the nation.

While Nirav's location is yet to be confirmed, Choksi has been traced down in Antigua, from where he recently released a video claiming innocence. "I am being targeted under a vicious campaign," the Gitanjali Gems chief claimed, adding that the probing agencies want to make him a "scapegoat".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 06, 2018 08:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).