synopsis

According to the officials, he was absconding ever since the case involving diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi came to light.

In a huge operation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has nabbed Subhash Shankar, a close aide of fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, at Cario in Egypt and brought him to Mumbai in connection to the Punjab National Bank (PNB) bank fraud case connected to Nirav Modi.

Subhash Shankar Parab, a key accused in the Rs 7,000 crore Nirav Modi bank fraud case was the Deputy General Manager (Finance) in Firestar Diamond, CBI officials said today, PTI reported. Parab, who was allegedly hiding in Cairo, landed in Mumbai early on Tuesday after “deportation”, they said.

According to the officials, he was absconding ever since the case involving diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi came to light.

Mehul Choksi (62) was arrested in the Caribbean nation of Dominica earlier this year on charges of illegal entry. Wanted by Indian agencies in connection with the multi-crore PNB scam, Choksi had been living in Antigua since 2018. The ED, in 2019, had moved an application before the PMLA court seeking that Choksi be declared a FEO under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018.

Meanwhile, UK’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court in February, ordered extradition of Nirav Modi to India to stand trial in the 2-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam. Modi is accused of duping the Punjab National Bank of more than Rs 13,000 crore. He was arrested on March 19, 2019 and has been lodged in London’s Wandsworth jail.

He also faces two additional charges of "causing the disappearance of evidence" and intimidating witnesses or "criminal intimidation to cause death", which were added on to the CBI case.

UK Extradition judge dismissed Nirav Modi's “mental health concerns” and said ‘they are not unusual in a man in his circumstances’.

If extradited, Nirav Modi - prime accused in the PNB scam, will be housed in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai.