CBI quizzes PNB officials, issues lookout notice against 10 firm executives

A CBI team also questioned PNB Executive Director KV Brahmaji Rao, two General Managers and a retired official in connection with its probe into the Rs 11,400 crore fraud.

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday issued a lookout circular (LOC) against more than 10 executives of the firms linked to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi in connection with its ongoing probe into Rs 11400 crore PNB scam.

The CBI also reportedly questioned Punjab National Bank (PNB) Executive Director KV Brahmaji Rao, two General Managers and a retired official in connection with its probe into the Rs 11,400 crore fraud.

A CBI team questioned Rao for the third consecutive day at its Mumbai branch. 

On Sunday, too, Rao was questioned for over eight hours. He was quizzed along with PNB Managing Director-cum-CEO Sunil Mehta on Saturday. 

The others quizzed were three General Manager-rank officials of the PNB Treasury Division and International Banking Division, including a retired official.

The Income Tax Department also said it had attached 66 more bank accounts related to accused Mehul Choksi of the Gitanjali Group.

"After Friday, 66 more bank accounts of the group have been attached with a total credit balance of Rs 80.07 crore," an IT Department official said.

It was reported earlier that the passports of Modi and Choksi were revoked as they failed to respond to the show-cause notice on Ministry of External Affairs.

Gitanjali Gems Chairman and Managing Director Mehul Choksi and his nephew, famous jeweller Nirav Modi, are the prime accused in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam.

The duo, whose locations are not known, is wanted in India for their alleged involvement in siphoning off money from the PNB to the tune of more than 11,400 crore rupees.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) provisionally attached 21 immovable properties, worth Rs 523.72 crore, of Nirav Modi and companies controlled by him.

The scam, which allegedly started in 2011, was unearthed last month after which the PNB officials reported it to the concerned agencies

(With Agency inputs)