Court rejects Nirav Modi’s sister’s plea for video conference statement in PNB fraud case

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A special CBI court in Mumbai has rejected Purvi Modi's plea to record her statement via video conference in the Rs 6,498 crore Punjab National Bank fraud case. Judge S K Karhale ruled that an accused cannot dictate how the investigation should be conducted. The court noted Purvi, a Belgian national and sister of fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, had failed to respond to a notice in June 2022 and had made no effort to appear before the court for over five years after her initial Covid-19 excuse became invalid.

Purvi has been named accused no. 31 in the CBI's second supplementary charge sheet and has applied to become an approver, as her husband Maiank Mehta already has. The CBI argued her physical presence was necessary to confront her with voluminous documents and transactions. The judge agreed, saying in serious cases affecting the country's economy, the investigating officer must have the chance to conduct a fair investigation. Nirav Modi and uncle Mehul Choksi are accused of the Rs 23,780 crore fraud through fraudulent Letters of Undertaking at PNB's Brady House branch.