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The Opposition has stepped up the offensive against the Centre over the PNB scam.
They termed it as the country’s biggest ‘bank loot’ scam and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, State Governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat — both led by the BJP — were aware of the ongoing scam and complaints were filed as early as on May 7, 2015.
The Congress circulated the copies of various complaints filed by individuals and organisations against the accused in the scam. The party said the scam has got bigger over the last 24 hours to ₹21,306 crore as “layers of conspiracy” get unearthed by the hour.
“In addition, the PNB stock has depreciated, eroding ₹7,000 crore in value. Incidentally, government owns 57 per cent share in PNB and the remaining is owned by financial institutions/common investors. If you add the erosion in value of ₹7,000 crore, the total exposure comes to ₹28,306 crore,” the party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.
He said the exposure of banks to three more companies, Diamonds R US, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamonds, is yet to be disclosed. “Experts estimate this exposure to be in the range of ₹3,000-5,000 crore. This will further enhance the total figure of the scam,” he claimed.
He said the PMO, Enforcement Directorate, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), SEBI and two State Governments got a series of complaints on the matter.
He said one Vaibhav Khuraniya and RM Green Solution Private Ltd sent complaints to the PMO, ED, and SFIO against Choksi. “Another person named Digvijaysinh Jadeja filed an FIR in the Ahmedabad Economic Offences Wing against Choksi and others for defrauding him,” he said.
“In a public event on ‘Gold Monetisation Scheme’, the Prime Minister publicly acknowledged Choksi as hamare Mehul bhai (our brother Mehul) and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad feigned ignorance,” he said.
“Nirav Modi leaves India on January 1, 2018. His maternal uncle and co-accused Choksi leaves India on January 4. Modi’s wife, Ami Nirav Modi, and brother, Nishal Modi, leave India on January 6.
“Nirav Modi conveniently attends World Economic Forum in Davos between January 23-26 after escaping from India. The CBI registers a case only on January 31. The CBI issues a lookout notice on February 15. These dates themselves tell a story about the Great Escape,” he added.
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