Top court sets aside Guj HC relief to Choksi, orders resumption of probe in cheating case
In 2015, businessman Digvijaysinh Himmatsinh Jadeja filed an FIR against Choksi, and his company Geetanjali Jewellery Retail Limited (GJRL)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside a 2017 ruling of the Gujarat high court and ordered resumption of investigation against fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi in an eight-year-old cheating case.
In 2015, businessman Digvijaysinh Himmatsinh Jadeja filed an FIR against Choksi, and his company Geetanjali Jewellery Retail Limited (GJRL), which was a subsidiary of Gitanjali Gems Limited (GGL), under Sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust), 465 (forgery) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in connection with a business transaction involving 24-karat gold bars worth ₹30 crore. The high court quashed the case six years ago.
Setting aside the HC judgement, the top court in an order passed on November on November 29 said: “We are of the opinion that the said examination and evaluation should not have been done by the high court… Investigation will continue without being influenced by any of the findings or observations made in the impugned judgment or in the present order.” It added that the high court order showed that a detailed factual examination and evaluation was undertaken which was not necessary at that stage when the investigation was still on
Choksi, along with his nephew Nirav Modi, are accused of defrauding the Punjab National Bank (PNB) of over ₹14,000 crore.