CBI questions former deputy governor of RBI Harun Rashid Khan in Rs 13,000 cr #PNBScam

Mumbai, April 6: In the latest move, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday questioned former deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Harun Rashid Khan in its probe related to Rs 13,000 crore scam involving billionaire jeweler Nirav Modi.

 

Notably, the CBI during interrogation asked Harun Rashid Khan about the lapses in the statutory audit of the central regulator due to which the mega scam was remained undetected for a long time as the SWIFT messaging system was misused.

According to the sources, Khan was also asked about 20:80 gold import scheme introduced by then finance minister P Chidambaram in the year 2014, that was implemented three days before the counting of votes general election. CBI had also questioned four RBI officers including three chief general managers (CGMs) and one general manager (GM) on Thursday.

The PM Modi led government had last month accused former Finance Minister P Chidambaram of helping billionaire Jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi through the 20:80 gold import scheme. The policy allowed few trading houses to sell 80% gold imports in the country and export at least 20% before importing new consignments.

The questioning of former RBI officer comes two days after Belgian authorities on the request of Enforcement Directorate froze two accounts of billionaire jeweler Nirav Modi. The development also comes one and half month after the biggest fraudulent case hit Mumbai last month where Punjab National Bank reported that it has detected fraudulent and unauthorized transactions in one of its branches in Mumbai. The cumulative fraud amounts stand to Rs 13000 crores.

After the scam was unveiled, the Enforcement Directorate registered an FIR under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and conducted raids after the surfacing of the alleged fraud by billionaire diamond trader Nirav Modi and his Mumbai-based firms Diamonds R Us, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamonds.

On the other side, the CBI also registered fresh FIRs against 10 directors of the Gitanjali Group of companies on charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Corruption Act, including Mehul Choksi, the Managing Director of Gitanjali Gems Ltd based in Mumbai's Walkeshwar. The FIR also named two former bank employees said to be directly involved in the fraudulent transactions.

Intensifying the probe, CBI sealed Brady House branch of Punjab National Bank in Mumbai from where the Rs 11,378.68 Crores PNB scam was originated. The action was based on EDs raid at over 45 more locations in 15 cities across India in connection with the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam.

Importantly, Nirav Modi and his brother Nishal Modi left the country on 1st of January this year. Nirav Modi's wife, an American citizen, left India on 6 January while Mehul Choksi left the country on 4 January. CBI received a complaint from PNB on 29th Jan 2018and registered the case on 31st January.