Choksi, along with Modi, is the main allegation in the multi-billion dollar Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, has lived in Antigua since he allegedly fled India in 2018. The report shows that he lives in Antwerp, Belgium, where he obtained a residence card.
Nirav Modi, on the other hand, is still incarcerated in Westminster prison in London, and has been detained since being arrested in March 2019 since his extradition order filed by Indian authorities. Modi faces allegations of defrauding PNB of more than Rs 13.85 crore and has been repeatedly denied bail, the most recent time in May 2024.
In court lawsuits, Modi’s defense attorney Edward Fitzgerald argued that the Indian Secret Service posed a threat to Modi’s safety and he would not risk fleeing the UK because he could easily be easily tracked by Indian agents from various countries. Fitzgerald tried to highlight Modi’s connection to the UK, citing his daughter’s upcoming schooling and his work at Diamond Holdings.
Despite these demands, the prosecution led by Nicholas Hearn countered that there was a lot of evidence that Modi was reluctant to return to India to face trial. Judge John Zani agreed with the argument on the grounds that Modi would abscond if he was released on bail. The judge noted that $600 million of the fraud amount remains untracked and that Modi is the center of so-called criminal activities.
In addition, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently submitted a supplementary fee named Modi’s sister Purvi Mehta as the defendant in the PNB scam.
