Mumbai, June 17
Diamantaire Mehul Choksi—one of the chief suspects in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam—has cited health reasons for having left the country in January last year.
Choksi, currently living in the Caribbean nation of Antigua, said in an affidavit he filed through his lawyer on Monday, refuted allegations that he was evading that law, saying he left in January 2018 for a health check up and treatment abroad.
"I have not left the country under suspicious circumstances," the affidavit said.
Choksi’s affidavit was in connection with two petitions submitted in the high court asking to dismiss an application filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a special court for declaring him a fugitive economic offender.
In his petition, Choksi has said he is unable to return to India due to persisting health problems.
Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are both suspects in a case that involves a bank fraud of Rs 13,400 crore. The case came to light after the Punjab National Both ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are investigating the case.
The multi-crore fraud came to light in early 2018. PTI