Everyone has been barred from opening or entering Brady House branch without prior permission from CBI
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday sealed the Brady House Branch of the Punjab National Bank in Mumbai as multiple probe agencies continue their probe into the Rs 11,515 crore fraud, according to officials.
The CBI pasted an official notice outside the branch in Fort -- the bank's flagship lending window in Mumbai and its second largest national outlet.
All have been barred from opening or entering inside this branch without prior permission of the CBI or the CBI Special Court or the CBI Competent Authority.
Accordingly, all operations at the Brady House Branch came to a grinding halt and several bewildered staffers were seen waiting outside it for further orders from their bosses.
The action came two days after the Special CBI Court in Mumbai, remanded to police custody till March 3, three accused in the PNB fraud, including two former staffers.
The accused includes retired PNB Deputy Manager Gokulnath Shetty, Single Window Operator Manoj Kharat and authorized signatory of the prime accused Nirav Modi's group companies, Hemant Bhatt.
The three were the very first arrests to be in the sensational case so far by the CBI from different parts of Mumbai and Raigad. More arrests are expected soon, officials have indicated.
Besides these, the CBI earlier named 10 other directors and officials as accused in the scam which has created a nationwide furore.
The prime accused, diamond trader Nirav Modi and other associates fled the country in early January, before the massive financial fraud came to light.
The multi-pronged action by the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and others comes five days after PNB admitted to unearthing a fraud amounting to Rs 11,515 crore involving Mr Modi's companies and certain other accounts in the Brady House Branch.
The fraud, which includes money-laundering among others, concerns the Firestar Diamonds group in which the CBI last week booked Nirav Modi, his wife Ami, brother Nishal Modi and Mehul Choksi.