PNB scam: Nirav Modi's sister moves court to get NBW canceled

Fugitive diamond trader NiravModi's sister and her husband on Thursday approached a courthere seeking cancellation of non-bailable warrants (NBWs)against them in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case.

Purvi Modi, Nirav Modi's younger sister, is a Belgiannational while her husband Maiank Mehta is a British citizen.

Both were earlier named as accused in the case, butlast month the PMLA court here accepted their plea for turningapprover (prosecution witness) in the case and getting pardon.

The couple, through their lawyers, filed applicationsbefore special Prevention of Money Laundering Act judge V CBarde, seeking cancellation of NBWs issued against them.

The court asked the Enforcement Directorate, theprobe agency, to file a reply and posted the matter forhearing on February 11.

''Purvi Modi and her husband Maiank Mehta turnedapprover for assisting in confiscation of two flats in NewYork, one each in London and Mumbai, balances in two Swissbank accounts and a bank account in Mumbai totalling Rs 579crore in the Nirav Modi bank fraud case,'' the ED had saidearlier.

Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, both declaredfugitive, are accused of cheating the PNB of Rs 13,000 croreby fraudulently obtaining Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) fromits Brady House branch in Mumbai.

LoUs are issued as bank guarantee to obtain creditfrom overseas institutions.

Nirav Modi, 49, is presently in a London jail afterhis arrest there in 2019, and the legal process to extraditehim to India on money laundering charges is underway. Choksiis said to be living in Barbuda and Antigua.