ED files chargesheet against Mehul Choksi's wife Priti, court yet to take cognizance

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday filed a chargesheet against fugitive Indian diamantaire Mehul Choksi's wife Priti Choksi. The fresh chargesheet has been filed against Priti Choksi before a Mumbai Court which is yet to take cognizance of it. 

In the chargsheet, the ED has named Priti Choksi as an 'accused' in the case and has alleged that she was the 'ultimate beneficiary' of a few offshore companies. These companies were allegedly created and used for laundering money. His wife was also the nominee of most of the firms owned by Mehul Choksi, the ED has alleged. Multiple shell companies were created by him, which were operating from countries like Hong Kong, from where the money was routed. ED has also stated that some Mumbai-based companies are under the scanner in connection with this.

Moreover, the investigation agency has come across evidence of how the money was defrauded from Punjab National Bank (PNB) through Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) and was laundered through shell companies linked to Priti Choksi. After the matter landed in the Dominica court, the ED had named Priti Choksi, to strengthen the case against the fugitive.

Notably, there has been a considerable delay in filing the chargesheet, which was under work since 2021. The chargesheet was expected to bolster India's position in Dominica, where the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took a lead. As far as the ED is concerned, it has been largely looking into the links of the suspected firms to Priti Choksi, keeping which in mind the new chagrehseet has been filed. 

Relief for Mehul Choksi in Dominica case

Last month, Dominica withdrew the case against Mehul Choksi over his 'illegal entry' into the island nation. Authorities in Dominica discontinued the proceedings on May 22, nearly a year after the mysterious series of events transpired. Mehul Choksi went missing from Antigua and Barbuda and was strangely found in Dominica last year after allegedly being abducted. While contesting his case against the 'illegal entry', he had made claims that he was abducted from Antigua on May 23 by policemen looking like Antiguan and Indian men who subjected him to 'brutal torture'.

Owner of Gitanjali jewelers, Choksi along with his nephew Nirav Modi is accused of duping the Punjab National Bank (PNB) of Rs 13,500 crore, siphoning off the money using letters of undertaking. India has been formally pursuing his extradition since August 2018.