Nirav Modi's Sister Purvi Modi Seeks Video Conference Testimony in PNB Fraud Case

Purvi Modi , the younger sister of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi , on Tuesday moved a special CBI court in Mumbai seeking permission to record her statement through video conferencing in the high-profile Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case .

Purvi Modi, a Belgian national , has already filed an application before the court seeking to turn an approver in the case. During the hearing, her counsel requested that she be allowed to give her statement remotely through video conference instead of appearing in person before the court.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) informed the court that her statement must first be recorded before any decision is taken on her plea to become an approver. The court subsequently directed the prosecution to file its response to her application seeking virtual recording of the statement.

Purvi Modi has been arraigned as an accused in the alleged bank fraud case, which has been investigated by both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) . Multiple charge sheets have been filed by the two agencies as part of their investigations.

In a related development, both Purvi Modi and her husband, Maiank Mehta , have already turned approvers in the money laundering case linked to the fraud and being probed separately by the ED.

The PNB fraud case, which surfaced in 2018 , is among the largest banking frauds investigated in India. According to investigators, Nirav Modi , his uncle Mehul Choksi , and others allegedly orchestrated a fraud exceeding USD 2 billion (more than ₹13,000 crore) through the fraudulent issuance of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) from the Brady House branch of Punjab National Bank in Mumbai . The transactions were allegedly carried out in connivance with certain bank officials.

While Nirav Modi remains the prime accused in the case and is currently lodged in a London jail , Indian agencies continue to pursue legal proceedings against those linked to the alleged fraud. The special court will now consider Purvi Modi's request after receiving the prosecution's reply.