The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday attached properties and bank accounts, owned by Nirav Modi and his family, worth Rs 637 crore in the Rs 13,400 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam.
The agency said the properties, jewellery, flats and bank balances are in India, UK and New York among others. There are only very few cases where Indian agencies have attached assets abroad in a criminal probe.
The assets have been attached as part of five separate orders issued by the central probe agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), it said.
Two immovable properties having total value of USD 29.99 Million (Rs 216 crores approx) and beneficially owned by Nirav Modi in New York, have also been attached by the directorate under section 5 of Prevention of Money laundering Act.
The ED has also attacked five overseas bank accounts with a total balance of Rs 278 crore belonging to Nirav Modi. Diamond studded jewellery worth Rs 22.69 crore has been brought back to India from Hong Kong.
The investigating agency has also attached a flat in South Mumbai worth Rs 19.5 crore.
The agency, a senior official said, also got issued an Interpol Red Corner notice (global arrest warrant) against Aditya Nanavati, an accused in the same case, on charges of money laundering.
Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are the main accused in the case where it is alleged that the two diamond jewellery businessmen allegedly duped and defrauded the Brady House branch of the Punjab National Bank in Mumbai for an amount of USD 2 billion (about 13,000 crore) in purported connivance with bank officials.
(With inputs from agencies)
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