Geetanjali group promoters Mehul Choksi joined hands with diamond mughal Nirav Modi to not only dupe the Punjab National Bank, but also allegedly cheated common man and gullible investors in fraudulent schemes promoted by them.
levelling this allegation, All India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said Geetanjali Gems promoters Nirav and Choksi floated jewellery investment schemes like Shagun, ‘Swarna Mangal labh’ (SMl) and ‘Swarna Mangal Kalash’ (SMK) in which common investors lost around Rs 5,000 crore.
“The modus operandi of the scheme was that an ordinary person, seeking to buy jewellery or earn lucrative return investment, was required to pay 11 installments of a specified amount and Geetanjali group offered to pay the 12th installment as free. Tenure of these installments could be 12 months, 24 months or 36 months. At the end of the tenure, the amount so accumulated could be redeemed for jewellery with additional bonus of up to 50 per cent. But like in the case of banks, common man was also duped by way of these schemes as neither was the installment paid neither the jewellery given nor amount returned,” Govil said.
He alleged that lure of bonus and one free installment at redemption saw large number of people making investment in these schemes, which were trap to cheat investors. “In Gujarat’s Bhavnagar alone there are hundreds of complaints pending with the State police about such frauds. People have given affidavits in September 2015 and made public such documents,” he said, adding, “ Geetanjali groups neither paid the additional installment nor gave jewellery to investors.
He said the most interesting fact is that although complaints were given on October 10, 2017, the Gujarat Police waited up to January 25, 2018 by when Nirav and Choksi had fled the country along with their families.
Govil alleged that the State authorities did not carry any investigation even after a slew of complaints were filed during the last two years. “A large number of complaints against the patent fraudulent practice were also done in October 2017 but instead of registering FIRs and arresting Choksi and others, the Bhavnagar Police kept the matter pending and referred it to CID Crime, Gandhinagar,” said Govil, sharing copies of complaints and police records pertaining to the case.
Govil also said that despite huge number of complaints of fraud and duping, the BJP-led State Government projected Geetanjali Group of Choksi and Nirav as the collaborator for Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2017.
“Was Choksi not invited in the small gathering when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Gold Monetisation Scheme in 2015IJ Did the PM not refer to Choksi with great affection in his speechIJ Was Nirav not part of the gathering of Indian CEOs photographed with PM in Davos after his escape from India and still the elder Modi is shy of admitting his connection to Choksi and Nirav,” Govil said.
The party also talked about the relationships of Nirav and Choksi with BJP leaders like Aparna Chaudasama, sister-in- law of BJP’spokesperson Shaina N C.
“Aparna was head of sales with Nirav. Further Choksi and Geetanjali Group had showcased fashion creations by Shaina NC in August, 2015 which was graced Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Anar Patel, daughter of the then Gujarat Chief Minister Anandi Ben Patel. Choksi had even shared advertisements in the media of the said function sponsored by Geetanjali Group along with pictures of the persons named above to project his proximity with the BJP stalwarts,” Govil alleged.