PNB scam: Mehul Choksi's wife moves Mumbai court for cancellation of bailable warrant

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₹13,000-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan fraud case, PTI reported. Last June, Enforcement Directorate (ED), named Priti Choksi, also known as Priti Pradyotkumar Kothari, as an accused in the supplementary charge sheet. She was charged with helping her husband, the prime accused, "in layering of the proceeds of crime".

In her application, Preeti Kothari said that the court issued bailable warrants against her on August 9 on the ground that she didn't appear in person despite the issuance of summons. Kothari claimed that she was “unaware about the existence of the present legal proceedings on account of the fact that she has been a resident of Antigua and Barbuda" since she shifted there in 2018, much prior to the registration of the money laundering case. Kothari further stated that the factum of foreign citizenship of the present applicant (Kothari), and place of residence being outside India was well known to Indian authorities.

The special court has directed the ED to file its say and adjourned the matter for hearing to August 25. Apart from Choksi and Kothari, the ED in its charge sheet also named Choksi's three companies -- Gitanjali Gems Ltd, Gili India Ltd and Nakshatra Brand Ltd -- and retired Punjab National Bank deputy manager (Brady House branch, Mumbai) Gokulnath Shetty. It was the third charge sheet against Choksi after the first two were filed in 2018 and 2020 by the ED.