# Mehul Choksi’s lawyer Vijay Aggarwal detained in London 2026-08-19T15:44:49+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet (2 source reports) Vijay Aggarwal, the lawyer representing fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, has been detained in London, UK authorities have confirmed. Times Now reports that his detention is linked to alleged work permit violations and not to cash seizures or money laundering. The Metropolitan Police declined to provide further details when approached by Times Now. One report from Times Now Digital stated that Aggarwal was allegedly found with a 'massive haul of undeclared cash' at a UK property and was working without a required permit. However, a second Times Now report, citing sources, clarified that the detention is 'not linked to any cash seizure or a money laundering case' and is solely over professional services provided without the requisite licence. Aggarwal's family has travelled to London to pursue the matter. Aggarwal is known for representing Choksi in Indian and international legal proceedings, including after Choksi's arrest in Belgium in April 2025. Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are accused in the Punjab National Bank fraud case involving approximately US$1.8 billion. The UK has not publicly confirmed the specific allegations against Aggarwal. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The two Times Now articles present conflicting accounts of the same incident. The first leads with dramatic claims of a 'massive haul of undeclared cash' and immigration violations, framing the story around sensational allegations and Aggarwal's refusal to comment. The second article, however, explicitly states that the detention is 'not linked to any cash seizure or money laundering' and focuses narrowly on work permit violations, attributing this to unnamed sources. The first article relies on unverified 'buzz' and reports, while the second cites sources and a police response that provides no confirmation. A careful reader should note that the cash haul allegation appears in only one version and is directly contradicted by the other. The concrete next step is Aggarwal's family pursuing his case in London, but no timeline has been set. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 1 neutral, 1 sensationalist - timesnownews.com (sensationalist) Leads with dramatic, unverified claim of a 'massive haul of undeclared cash' and Aggarwal's refusal to deny rumours. - timesnownews.com (2) (neutral report) Focuses on work permit violation, explicitly denies cash or money laundering link, cites sources and police. This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-19T21:51:31+00:00. Tags: Mehul Choksi, Nirav Modi, Punjab National Bank, UK, Vijay Aggarwal Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/mehul-choksis-lawyer-vijay-aggarwal-says-no-comment-on-uk-cash-haul/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/mehul-choksis-lawyer-vijay-aggarwal-says-no-comment-on-uk-cash-haul/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/