Chidambaram takes jibe at Centre over PNB scam

Senior Congress Party leader P. Chidambaram on Monday took a jibe at the Centre and said he was not sure whether efforts were being made to bring billionaire businessman Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi back to India.

"I know of no efforts being made to bring them (Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi) back to India. Our stance has always been the same; they (Centre) allowed the two gentlemen to leave the country. Therefore, I doubt any efforts are being made to bring them back to the country," he said at a press conference here.

Responding to a question on India's increase in rating by a number of noted agencies, Chidambaram said the focus should be on the ground situation and not too much into what is being said by the rating agencies.

For those unversed, the Punjab National Bank (PNB) detected the multi-crore scam, wherein Nirav and his uncle-cum-business-partner Choksi had allegedly cheated the bank to the tune of Rs. 114 billion, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank.

The scam, which reportedly began in 2011, was detected in the third week of January this year, after which the PNB officials reported it to the concerned agencies.

A criminal complaint was filed against Nirav, his associates, businesses and the entire gamut of issuance of fake Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) by the PNB to his firms in alleged connivance of bank officials.

Earlier in the day, media reports said the accused diamantaire is allegedly seeking refuge in the United Kingdom.

(ANI)