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Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi’s sister, Purvi Modi, on Tuesday approached a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai, seeking permission to record her statement via video conference in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case.
Purvi Modi, a Belgian national and the younger sister of Nirav Modi, has already filed an application before the court seeking to turn approver in the high-profile bank fraud case.
Purvi Modi Seeks Virtual Appearance Before Court
During the hearing, the CBI informed the court that Purvi Modi’s statement must first be recorded before her plea to become an approver can be considered.
Her counsel subsequently requested that the statement be recorded through video conferencing, citing her presence outside India.
The special CBI court has directed the prosecution to file its response to the application before taking a decision.
Already Turned Approver in ED Money Laundering Case
Purvi Modi and her husband, Maiank Mehta, have already turned approvers in a related money laundering investigation being conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Both were named as accused in the alleged banking fraud, which is being investigated separately by the CBI and the ED.
The PNB Fraud Case
The Punjab National Bank fraud case, one of India’s largest banking scams, surfaced in 2018.
The ED and the CBI have accused Nirav Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi, and several others of orchestrating a fraud exceeding USD 2 billion (over Rs 13,000 crore).
According to investigators, the accused allegedly conspired with bank officials at PNB’s Brady House branch in Mumbai to obtain fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs), which were then used to secure overseas credit from foreign banks without proper authorisation.
Nirav Modi is currently lodged in a prison in London, where he continues to contest extradition proceedings initiated by Indian authorities.
The case remains under investigation, with multiple charge sheets already filed by both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.