PNB-Modi fraud: CBI arrests Gokulnath Shetty, two others

News Network
February 17, 2018

New Delhi, Feb 17: The CBI on Saturday arrested three persons, including former deputy manager of Punjab National Bank (PNB) Gokulnath Shetty, in connection to the Nirav Modi fraud case.

SWO Manoj Kharat and authorised signatory of the Nirav Modi Group of Firms Hemant Bhat were arrested along with Shetty. All three will be produced before the CBI special court in Mumbai today.

Shetty is a co-accused in the Rs 11,800 crore Punjab National Bank scam, in which jewellery designer Nirav Modi is the prime suspect after he and his associates embezzled Rs 280 crore from the bank.

CBI teams visited Shetty's flat at Rustomjee Ozone complex in west Mumbai's Malad on Thursday and Friday and questioned his family and relatives. They were probing when the flat was purchased, how the payment was made and what the source of funds was. They also wanted to know about his bank accounts, lockers and other assets.

The CBI has alleged in an FIR that accused bank officials Shetty and Kharat, in connivance with accused companies and others, defrauded PNB to the tune of Rs 4,886.70 crore.

The agency charged that the accused officials issued fraudulent and unauthorised letters of undertakings in favour of foreign branches of different India-based banks.

The officials omitted entries of Letters of Understanding (LoUs) in the core banking system of the bank issued on behalf of the accused companies to avoid detection, a CBI spokespersn said.

The accused in the new FIR include Mehul Choksi (Managing Director Gitanjali Gems), Gokulnath Shetty (retired DGM of PNB), Manoj Kharat (then single window officer of PNB), and companies -- Gitanjali Gems Ltd , Gili India Ltd, Nakshatra Brand Ltd, directors of the companies Krishnan Sangameshwaran, Nazura Yash Ajaney, Dinesh Gopaldas Bhatia, Aniyath Shivraman Nair and Dhanesh Vrajlal Sheth.

The agency had earlier registered a separate case involving Rs 280-crore fraud, which has now been expanded to cover LoUs worth Rs 6,498 crore issued to accused companies of Nirav Modi and Choksi.

In a complaint to the CBI in January 2018, the Punjab National Bank had alleged that 293 LoUs worth Rs 11,400 crore were fraudulently issued to the companies of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi from one of its branches in Mumbai.

Forty-six-year old Nirav Modi , who holds an Indian passport, left the country on January 1, and his business partner Mehul Choksi left the country on January 4, CBI officials said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted raids on properties belonging to Modi and registered a PMLA case against him, Choksi and others based on the CBI FIR. Both Modi and Choksi have been summoned to appear before the agency within a week's time.

The ED is probing if the allegedly defrauded bank funds were laundered and these proceeds of crime subsequently used by the accused to create illegal assets and black money.

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Agencies
June 15,2020

New Delhi, Jun 15: After Two Indian officials working with Indian High Commission in Pakistan wet missing on Monday,  the Ministry of External Affairs summoned Pakistan's Charge d'affaires to India in the national capital and told them not to interrogate or harass Indian officials.

"Two Indian High Commission officials are missing since morning while on official work. The matter has been taken up with the Pakistani authorities," Akhilesh Singh, First Secretary and spokesperson, Indian High Commission, Pakistan, said.

According to sources quoted by PTI news agency, the MEA told the  Pakistan's Charge d'affaires to India that the responsibility of safety and security of Indian personnel in Islamabad "lays squarely with Pakistani authorities."

"Pakistan was asked to ensure return of two Indian officials along with official car to Indian High Commission in Islamabad immediately," sources added. 

The incident comes after two Pakistani officials at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi were accused of espionage and deported.

The two officials have been missing since Monday morning. Officials said the issue has been taken up with the Pakistan government.

Earlier, a vehicle of India's Charge d'affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia was chased by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) member.

In March, the Indian High Commission in Pakistan sent a strong protest note to the foreign ministry in Islamabad protesting against the continuing harassment of its officers and staff by Pakistani agencies.

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News Network
July 18,2020

Ayodhya, Jul 18: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lay the foundation stone of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya either on August 3 or 5, both auspicious dates, said a spokesperson.

PM Modi had announced the formation of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust on February 5.

Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, the spokesperson of Ram Mandir Trust president Nritya Gopal Das said, "We have suggested two auspicious dates -- August 3 and 5 -- for the prime minister's visit based on calculations of movements of stars and planets."

After a protracted legal tussle, the Supreme Court had on November 9 last year paved the way for the construction of a Ram Temple by a Trust at the disputed site in Ayodhya and directed the Centre to allot an alternative 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a new mosque at a "prominent" place in the holy town in Uttar Pradesh.

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News Network
April 9,2020

Patna, Apr 9: In a horrifying incident, a migrant woman was sexually abused in a Gaya hospital where she was kept in an isolation ward. Three days later, she died due to excessive bleeding.

The matter came to light on Tuesday when her mother-in-law informed the authorities concerned about the shocking incident.

The 25-year-old victim had returned to Bihar’s Gaya district from Ludhiana (in Punjab) along with her husband on March 25. Before returning to her in-laws’ place, she had undergone abortion at Ludhiana just when she was two months pregnant.

On reaching Gaya, she complained of excessive bleeding. Her husband admitted her to Anugrah Narain Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMMCH) on March 27 where she was kept in the emergency ward.

Later, on April 1, on being suspected to be coronavirus patient, she was kept in an isolation ward. Her family members alleged that it was in this isolation ward where a doctor attending to her overnight outraged her modesty for two successive nights on April 2 and 3.

“The following day, she was discharged from the hospital after her coronavirus test report was found to be negative. However, after returning home, she remained aloof and struck by fear. On questioning, she revealed how a doctor had sexually abused her in the isolation ward. On April 6, she passed away due to excessive bleeding,” said her mother-in-law.

On receiving the information, the local police asked the mother-in-law to come to the hospital on Tuesday and identify the doctor (about whom the victim had given a description). However, the accused was not identified.

“Prima facie, the matter is serious. We are verifying the allegations. We will dig out the CCTV footage in the hospital and take strict action after identifying the culprit,” said Dr VK Prasad, the hospital superintendent.

Meanwhile, the Gaya police have arrested two people who posed as doctors and entered the isolation ward using doctors’ kits. One of the apprehended people works in a private.

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