PNB scam: Nirav wants assets back; Delhi HC says case sketchy; top updates

Accused in the Rs 127-billion Punjab national bank (PNB fraud, Nirav Modi might breathe smooth as the Delhi high court on Wednesday called the case towards the absconding diamantaire "sketchy". The court docket also issued a word to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a plea filed by means of Modi.

The Delhi high court decide stated, "... want to wait to see what the ED has to mention due to the fact Vijay Aggarwal (Nirav Modi's lawyer) himself would not seem to be too positive of the records of the case."
meanwhile, Nirav Modi wants the ED movement of seizing his property and depositing it with the PNB quashed.
Alarmingly, the extent of the unravelling fraud at PNB should upward thrust beyond the nearly $2-billion mark thus far outlined with the aid of the country-owned lender.

Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi, and others are being investigated by means of a couple of probe companies after the scam recently came to light following a grievance through the PNB that they had allegedly cheated the nationalised financial institution, with the purported involvement of some bank personnel. The ED has registered a cash laundering case towards Nirav Modi, his firms, and others on the premise of a principal Bureau of investigation (CBI) first facts record (FIR).

Rs 114 bn PNB scam: ICAI begins probe to know whether any CA was involved

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), a state-controlled regulator for the sector, has said it is probing whether auditors played a role in perpetrating the alleged $1.77 billion fraud that Punjab National Bank unearthed last week.

The ICAI said on Thursday it has asked the Securities and Exchange Board of India, Punjab National Bank (PNB) and federal investigating agencies to share their findings of the alleged fraud, including anything related to the involvement of any chartered accountants.

The ICAI, which functions under the administrative control of India's Ministry of Corporate Affairs, said it has set up a committee to study the systemic lapses that contributed to the fraud and to suggest remedial measures and improvement.

Separately, the Economic Times newspaper reported that PNB has tapped PwC to conduct a probe into the alleged fraud that would help the bank build a case against jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

PNB officials were not immediately available for comment, while PwC declined to comment on the matter.

PNB fraud: Nirav Modi's Rolls Royce, Porsche seized; top 10 developments

Nirav Modi's luxury cars, including a Rolls Royce Ghost, a Mercedes Benz, and a Porsche Panamera, have been seized by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Rs 114-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case. Further, assets worth almost Rs 1 billion belonging to Modi and Choksi have been frozen by the probe agency.

The ED is also probing 120 shell companies allegedly linked to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. Further, the IT department has attached Rs 1.45 billion belonging to Nirav Modi.

Here are the top 10 developments in the banking scam that has gripped the country's financial sector:
1) ED seizes Nirav Modi's Rolls Royce Ghost and other luxury cars: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it had frozen mutual funds and shares worth Rs 945.2 million (Rs 94.52 crore) of the Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi groups in connection with the money laundering probe against them in the Rs 114-billion (Rs 11,400-crore) alleged PNB fraud at PNB.
It also seized nine high-end luxury cars of Modi as part of its investigation against him under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

PNB scam: Govt opposes PIL for Nirav Modi extradition; top 10 developments

The matter of absconding businessman Nirav Modi's possible extradition and a probe into the role of the bank's top management in the Rs 114-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case reached the Supreme Court on Wednesday, with the Centre opposing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking such an action.

Opposing the PIL, Attorney General K K Venugopal told a Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A M Khanwilkar, and Justice D Y Chandrachud that an FIR had already been filed in the multi-billion PNB fraud case and a probe was going on. As Venugopal rose to oppose the PIL, petitioner lawyer Vineet Dhanda urged the Bench to issue a notice to the Centre as the "kingpin of the scam Nirav Modi" had run away with the "common man's savings".

Further, carrying forward with the arrests it made on Tuesday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday said that it has arrested a General Manager rank officer of the PNB in connection with the Nirav Modi fraud case. "Rajesh Jindal, who was holding the charge of Brady House Branch Head between August 2009 and May 2011 was arrested on Tuesday night from Mumbai," a CBI official said. It was during Jindal's tenure at the Brady House that the alleged fraud took place, the CBI officer said.

PNB's Rs 110-bn fraud case isn't out-of-control, says FinMin official

The finance ministry today sought to allay worries over the Rs 113 billion fraud case at Punjab National Bank, saying the case not "out-of-control" and it is taking action in this respect.

"I dont think this is out of control or too big a worry at this point. That is my broad sense," Joint Secretary in Department of Financial Services Lok Rajan said on the sidelines of an event here.

Earlier in the morning Punjab National Bank (PNB) disclosed that it has detected some fraudulent transactions with financial implication of USD 1.171 billion (about Rs 11,334.4 crore) and the matter has been referred to law enforcement agencies for the recovery.

Based on these transactions, other banks appear to have advanced money to these customers abroad, it said.