Mehul Choksi, Nirav Modi's firms withdraw pleas against ED's proceedings 

Nirav Modi's Firestar Diamonds International and Mehul Choksi's Gitanjali Gems withdrew their pleas from Delhi High Court today. The pleas were filed against the Enforcement Directorate's proceedings on Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

On July 26, the special  Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court in Mumbai issued summons against diamond jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi. Both have been asked to appear before the court on September 26 and 27.

The move came after Mehul Choksi, a key accused in the multi-crore PNB scam, was reported to have moved to Antigua from the United States. Choksi was also reported having an Antiguan passport. 

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Choksi reportedly claimed he had taken Antigua citizenship last year to expand his business as the passport of the Caribbean nation provides visa-free travel to 132 countries.

Meanwhile, it was reported that India requested authorities in Antigua and Barbuda to detain PNB scam fugitive Mehul Choksi after it received information about his presence in the Caribbean island, government sources said today.

"As soon as MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) received information of the likely presence of Mehul Choksi in Antigua, our High Commission in Georgetown had alerted the A&B (Antigua and Barbuda) government, in writing and verbally, to confirm his presence in their territory and detain him and prevent his movement by land, air or sea," a government source said.

Nirav Modi and Choksi are being investigated by the ED and the CBI after it was detected that they allegedly cheated the Punjab National Bank of more than Rs 13,400 crore with the purported involvement of a few of its employees.

The scam, which reportedly began in 2011, was detected in January this year, after which PNB officials reported it to the probe agencies.