New Delhi: A dozen luxury cars of Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam- accused businessmen Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi have been auctioned, fetching the government exchequer Rs 3.29 crore, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said Friday. The vehicles were attached by the agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the past.
The ED had in March obtained the permission of a special PMLA court in Mumbai for auctioning 13 cars of the Modi-Choksi duo as part of its money laundering probe in the USD two billion alleged bank loan fraud. The e-auction was carried out by Metal Scrap Trade Corporation (MSTC) Ltd, the ED said in a statement.
“There are 13 vehicles (11 belonging to Nirav Modi group and two belonging to Mehul Choksi group) put on e-auction through MSTC platform on April 25. Out of these 13 vehicles, twelve (10 of Nirav Modi group and two of Mehul Choksi group) were successfully bided for a total amount of Rs 3,28,94,293,” the statement said.
The Income Tax Department had last month auctioned several art works that were owned by absconding diamond merchant Nirav for Rs 59.37 crore.
The ED and the CBI are investigating Nirav, his uncle Choksi and others for alleged money laundering and corruption to perpetrate the alleged scam in the Brady House branch of the PNB in Mumbai that was unearthed last year.
While Nirav has been arrested in London recently and India is seeking his extradition, Choksi is said to be in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and a similar legal action against him is on too.