Mehul Choksi is currently facing trial in Dominica. File
India today said that it is closely monitoring legal proceedings against fugitive businessmen Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi.
When asked about the latest update on the two, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing, "We are of course closely monitoring the ongoing legal proceedings in both cases."
Mehul Choksi, who is currently in Dominica facing trial, went missing from Antigua on May 23 and was caught in Dominica. He was charged with illegal entry into Dominica by police after he allegedly fled Antigua and Barbuda in a possible attempt to avoid extradition to India. The 62-year-old fugitive is wanted in India in connection with the Rs 13,500 crore fraud in Punjab National Bank.
Meanwhile, Nirav Modi is currently held at Wandsworth prison in South London where he has been lodged since his arrest in London in March 2019 in connection with the largest bank fraud perpetrated in India.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday transferred seized assets worth Rs 9,371.17 crore in cases related to Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, to public sector banks and the central government. Assets worth Rs 18,170.02 crore have so far been seized by the ED.
Further, Mr Bagchi also answered on the Indian objections to social media posts that targeted the Indian diplomats in Male.
He said, "Maldives Foreign Ministry today issued a statement on the matter. The Maldivian Democratic Party has also issued a statement. I think that answers the question."
Maldives Foreign Ministry has requested local media to work in such a way that the country's diplomatic relations with other countries are not affected. The Indian High Commission in the Maldives has requested the ministry to take action against local media that publish content that criticises India, reported AVAS.