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A special court on Monday dismissed the plea of fugitive diamond merchant and PNB scam accused Nirav Modi’s sister Purvi Mehta. Purvi Mehta, in his plea, had sought the court’s intervention in the matter relating to the proceedings against his brother in the US. Mehta had appealed to the court to direct the Enforcement Directorate to intervene in the bankruptcy proceedings against his brother in the US. Purvi Mehta has been made a respondent in the US bankruptcy case against Nirav Modi.
In the petition filed in April last year before the special court for cases under the Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO) Act, Purvi Mehta (47) sought the court’s direction to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to intervene in the case before the US court and reduce at least asked for instructions regarding his property. Mehta had urged that in addition, PNB be directed to inform the trustee of the US proceedings that they should not be continued in order to avoid multiplicity of proceedings and possible double jeopardy.
Purvi Mehta has turned approver in the bank fraud case filed under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). In fact, in December 2019, Nirav Modi, the primary suspect in the Rs 13,000-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, was declared a fugitive economic offender. The 51-year-old diamond merchant is currently lodged in a UK jail. Nirav Modi’s sister Purvi Mehta and her husband Mayank Mehta were made witnesses in the case in January 2021 on the condition of making full and correct disclosure before the court.
Special Judge SM Menjoge dismissed Mehta’s plea after hearing the prosecution and the defence, saying there was no provision in the FEO Act to grant the relief sought by him. The judge said that this court cannot prevent any person from prosecuting any case in India or outside the country.