CBI seeks high court nod to chargesheet Nirav Modi's brother-in-law Maiank Mehta

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday sought permission from the Bombay High Court to file a chargesheet against fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's brother-in-law, Maiank Mehta, stating that its investigation is complete and the chargesheet is ready. Advocates Kuldeep Patil and Saili Dhuru, representing the agency, submitted the request before a bench of Justices AS Gadkari and Rajesh S Patil.

Senior advocate Amit Desai, appearing for Maiank Mehta, opposed the CBI’s request and sought interim protection from coercive action not just for Maiank but also for his wife, Purvi Mehta.

However, the court declined to extend the protection to her. "Today there is no apprehension of her arrest as she is not here in India. There is no question of protecting her," the bench said.

Purvi Mehta, a Belgian national and Nirav Modi's sister, was chargesheeted by the CBI in March this year in connection with the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case. Both she and Maiank Mehta were previously listed as wanted accused by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

In exchange for full disclosure, the ED accepted Maiank and Purvi Mehta as approvers and granted them a pardon under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The special PMLA court even allowed Maiank, a British national based in Hong Kong, to return home after he promised to cooperate with the proceedings. However, the CBI has consistently opposed his travel and has not accepted him as an approver.

The CBI has alleged that Purvi Mehta was one of the beneficiaries of the funds acquired through fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LOUs) issued by PNB at Nirav Modi’s behest. While Maiank Mehta was questioned several times by the CBI, he was not named in the chargesheet due to a Bombay High Court order directing the agency not to take coercive action against him. That protection has been in effect since July 25, 2022, and the CBI has been seeking its removal since.

Meanwhile, Purvi Mehta has filed a petition in the High Court seeking protection from arrest and prosecution by the CBI, arguing that she has already been pardoned in the ED's case. She has also sought the quashing of the chargesheet filed against her or, at the very least, a stay on proceedings until her petition is heard.

The court has scheduled the next hearing in the matter for July 3.