A special court on Tuesday canceled the non-bailable warrant against the fugitive diamond trader’s brother-in-law Mayank Mehta. Nirav ModiIn relation to a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate.
Mehta, a British national, appeared in court for the first time a few months after he became a prosecution witness in the case.
Senior advocate Amit Desai, representing Mehta from Hong Kong, said it happens that his wife is the sister of one of the accused (Modi). “He is a British citizen but lives in Hong Kong. He has unfortunately been caught in this case,” Desai submitted before Special Judge VC Barde.
Mehta, along with his wife Purvi Modi, had in January sought to become a government witness in the money laundering case filed by the ED against Modi and others. The court accepted their arguments when they submitted that they wanted to make disclosures which would prove crucial to establish the facts against Modi and other accused.
Mehta had sought cancellation of the non-bailable warrant against him, saying he would appear before the court after the ban on international travel. COVID-19 are resting. The court had stayed the verdict till his appearance in the court.
When he informed the court last week that he would appear on Tuesday, the court directed that no action should be taken against him until his arrival in the country.
The court granted bail to Mehta on a surety of Rs 50,000. Mehta’s lawyers also told the court that he would appear before the ED as and when required and inform the central agency whenever he leaves the country. It was submitted that Mehta is now a prosecution witness and will cooperate with the agency.
The Belgian citizen Eastern also demanded the cancellation of the warrant. The court adjourned the petition till its appearance in the court.
In their application to become prosecution witnesses for the accused, both had said that their personal and professional life had come to a standstill due to Modi’s alleged “criminal activities”. They also said they wanted to distance him and provide “substantial and significant evidence” about him and his behavior.
On Tuesday, the court was told that Mehta would provide details of Modi’s assets and properties along with other evidence in his knowledge.
Modi and others were named as accused by both the ED and the CBI in connection with a fraud complaint filed by Punjab National Bank, which claimed that fraudulent letters were issued in their favor causing loss to the bank. . Happened. The CBI had not named Mayank and Purvi as accused, but their names were there in the ED complaint. The ED had given him a no-objection on becoming a government witness, saying the pardon should be only in his personal capacity.
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