Choksi, who along with Modi is a prime accused in the multi-billion dollar Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, has been residing in Antigua since he allegedly fled India in 2018. Reports suggest that he is was living in Antwerp, Belgium, having obtained a residency card there.
Nirav Modi, on the other hand, remains incarcerated in a Westminster prison in London, where he has been detained since his arrest in March 2019 on an extradition warrant filed by Indian authorities. Modi faces charges of defrauding PNB of over Rs 13,850 crore and has repeatedly been denied bail, most recently for the seventh time in May 2024.
During the court proceedings, last year, Modi’s defense attorney, Edward Fitzgerald, argued that the Indian secret service poses a threat to Modi’s safety and that he would not risk fleeing the UK, as he could be easily tracked down by Indian agents in various countries, TOI reported. Fitzgerald attempted to emphasize Modi’s ties to the UK, citing his daughter’s upcoming schooling and his employment at Diamond Holdings.
Despite these claims, the prosecution, led by Nicholas Hearn, countered that there is substantial evidence suggesting Modi is unwilling to return to India to face trial. Judge John Zani agreed to this argument, citing the substantial grounds for believing that Modi would abscond if granted bail. The judge noted that a staggering $600 million of the defrauded amount remains untraced and that Modi is at the center of the alleged criminal activity.
Furthermore, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has recently filed a supplementary chargesheet naming Modi’s sister, Purvi Mehta, as an accused in the PNB scam.
