New Delhi, Sep 11 (UNI) The Congress on Tuesday alleged the direct involvement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his office in the escape of diamond merchant Mehul Choksi from the country after committing a fraud of Rs 24,000 crore.
Talking to reporters here, AICC media icnharge Randeep Surjewala said, 'facts available in public domain clearly prove that the Prime Minister's office is directly involved in the escape of Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi from the country. The Government answers to questions raised in Parliament make it clear that between February 7, 2015 and March 1, 2018, the Prime Minister's office (PMO) did not take any action against Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi despite being informed about the frauds in which they were involved, thus facilitating their escape from the country.
On May 7, 2015, a whistleblower Vaibhav Kurania gave information to the PMO on the frauds committed by Mehul Choksi. On May 26, 2015, the PMO acknowledged the receipt of the complaint. Similar complaints were field by various whistleblowers to SEBI, the Gujarat Government and the Finance Ministry. The direct involvement of the PMO, the Finance ministry, the enforcement directorate, the SFIO is clear in the matter. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is directly responsible for inaction against Mehul Choksi between May 2015 and March 2018.'
Mr Surjewala also alleged that the External Affairs ministry gave a clean chit to Choksi in May/June 2017 to facilitate him to secure a visa in Antigua.
'The External Affairs ministry, in May/June 2017, gave a clean chit to Mehul Choksi to facilitate him to secure a visa in Antigua. In November 2017, he (Choksi) got Antigua citizenship. On January 4, 3018, Choksi escaped from the country. It is only in February 2018, after his escape that the External Affairs ministry wrote to him that his passport has been suspended,' Mr Surjewala said.
Mr Surjewala also alleged that when the PM met the Prime Minister of Antigua in April 2018 on the sidelines of the Commonwealth heads of government meeting, he failed to raise with him the issue of granting of citizenship to Choksi.
Posing several questions to the PM, Mr Surjewala said,'why did the PMO not take action against Mehul Cho.ksi on the complaint received on May 7, 2015? Does it not pose a question mark on role of the PMO?
Also, why did the External Affairs ministry and the SEBI give a clean chit to Mehul Choksi to facilitate him to secure a visa of Antigua? We also want to ask why the PM did not raise the issue of Mehul Choksi's Antigua citizenship during his meeting with the Antigua Prime Minister in April 2018?'
UNI AR SD 1807