Nirav Modi and brother Nehal face new CBI charges

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Dec 23, 2019

The Central Bureau of Investigation has invoked additional charges against accused jeweller, Nirav Modi, and has included his brother, Nehal Modi, as a fellow accused, along with four others.

 
Nirav Modi now faces criminal intimidation charges and destruction of evidence charges on top of his existing charges of fraud at the Punjab National Bank, TNN reported.

The CBI filed the new charges at a special court in Mumbai on Friday before special judge, V C Barde. The CBI has accused Modi of threatening to kill one of his company directors should they return to India. 

The CBI chargesheet also named five more as accused in the case, bringing the current total to 30. Modi’s brother, Nehal Modi, is accused of taking part in the fraud and destroying evidence. As Nehal Modi is currently outside India, the CBI told Judge VC Barde that summons should be issued against him. 
 
The four other new names on the CBI’s chargesheet are PNB suspended deputy general manager, Sanjay Prasad; Modi’s business associate, Mihir Bhansali; former vice president of Modi-owned Firestar International, Amit Magia; and Modi’s Hong Kong business director, Sandeep Mistry.
 
Nirav Modi, along with his uncle and fellow jeweller, Mehul Choksi, is accused of defrauding the PNB to the tune of over Rs 13,500 ($2 billion). As Nirav Modi remains in a UK jail and awaits his extradition trial next year, Choksi is believed to be residing in Antigua where he has taken citizenship.