PMLA court keeps warrants against Nirav Modi’s sister, her husband in abeyance

The special court under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Thursday kept the non-bailable warrants issued against fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi’s sister and a Belgian national Purvi Mehta and her husband Maiank Mehta, a British national, in abeyance till further order

The special court under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Thursday kept the non-bailable warrants issued against fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi’s sister and a Belgian national Purvi Mehta and her husband Maiank Mehta, a British national, in abeyance till further order.

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The Mehtas had approached the special PMLA court in February this year seeking to cancel the non-bailable warrants for their arrest on the grounds that they had turned approvers in the money laundering case registered against Modi in connection with the ₹13,500-crore fraud at Punjab National Bank (PNB) where Modi is a prime accused.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the money laundering case, claimed that Modi has diverted around ₹1,201.18 crore (USD 175.1 million) through Mehta. The agency had made Mehta and Maiank accused in the case and sought to issue non-bailable warrants against the two.

ED, in its charge sheet, claimed Mehta was an active participant in the generation of proceeds of crime and the process of money laundering. It further claimed that Mehta was a director in Dubai and Hongkong-based companies which received funds obtained through letters of understandings issued by PNB in favour of Modi’s firms.

Mehta has, however, maintained that she had no knowledge of the transactions. In a response filed before the designated court which is hearing ED’s plea for confiscation of Modi’s properties, she claimed she had nothing to do with the alleged proceeds of crime.