Sebi on Thursday slapped a total fine of Rs 5 crore on fugitive Mehul Choksi, Gitanjali Gems and another individual for violating various regulations, including listing norms, in connection with a massive fraud on state-run lender PNB.
Choksi, promoter and managing director of Gitanjali Gems, is the maternal uncle of Nirav Modi, who is also facing charges for defrauding state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) of over Rs 14,000 crore.
Both Choksi and Modi fled India after the PNB scam came to light in early 2018. While Choksi is said to be in Antigua, Modi is lodged in a British jail and has challenged India’s extradition request.
In its order, Sebi said it is imposing a fine totalling Rs 5 crore on Choksi, Gitanjali Gems and Dhanesh Sheth, the executive director of Gitanjali.
“... The default is grave and the gravity of this matter cannot be ignored,” Sebi said.
It quoted a communication from PNB that it had reported to the RBI total fraud of over Rs 11,394 crore in case of unauthorized issuance of LOUs, foreign letters of credit and inland letter of guarantees in the group accounts of Nirav Modi Group and Gitanjali Group and in the account of one Chandri Paper & Allied Products Pvt Ltd.
The overall fraud size is said to be even larger at over Rs 14,000 crore.