Nirav Modi in Hong Kong, MEA has sought for provisional arrest: VK Singh

India submitted a request to Hong Kong government for provisional arrest of Nirav Modi, who is wanted in connection with PNB fraud worths Rs 13,000 crore, the ministry of external affairs informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

“The ministry has sought the provisional arrest of Nirav Deepak Modi by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China, for which a request has been submitted to them on March 23, 2018,” Minister of state in the external affairs ministry V.K. Singh, said in a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

The external affair ministry was asked if the government had any clue about the whereabouts of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

Singh was asked whether the ministry has any clue about the whereabouts of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

“The MEA had suspended passports of the two diamond merchants,” Singh said.

He further added that the FIR was suspended after an FIR was registered against Modi and Choksi by the CBI for an alleged fraud worth Rs 12000 crore in the Punjab National Bank two months ago.

The ministry had served show cause notices to Modi and Choksi on February 16, asking them to respond within  a week time.

“They failed to respond within the stipulated time period so their passports were revoked on February 23, 2018,” Singh said in Parliament.

Diamond trader Nirav Modi, who is being liked to the alleged Rs 11,000 crore Punjab National Bank fraud, has written to the country’s second largest state-run bank promising to repay the money and has sought six months to return the money.