Mehul Choksi’s wife likely to figure in supplementary chargesheet over alleged role in PNB fraud case

New Delhi: Trouble for fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi’s wife is mounting. Enforcement Directorate is likely to name his wife Priti Choksi alias Priti Pradyot Kumar Kothari in its supplementary chargesheet as the agency has found evidence of her alleged involvement in the PNB fraud case, sources told ANI.

According to sources, Priti is the beneficial owner of company named Hilingdon Holdings. ED has found in its investigation that the company is a shell company registered in the UAE in Jabel Ali Free Zone in November 2013.

Investigations have revealed that 6 lakh Dirham or Rs 1.19 cr were transferred into this company from Asian Diamond Jewellery FZE, which is a Gitanjali Group Company.

Sources told ANI that Hilingdon Holdings through a company named Goldhawk DMCC holds 3 immovable properties in Dubai. The total value of these properties is more than Rs 22.50 cr.

These properties have already been attached by ED. To hide the identity of the real beneficiary apart from Hilingdon Holdings two more offshore companies were opened. These two offshore companies are Colindale Holdings and Charing Cross Holdings, sources added.

These companies were opened with the help of the employees of Gitanjali Group named Dion Lillywhite, C D Shah and Neha Shinde. Dion Lillywhity is one of the dummy directors in some UAE-based Gitanjali Group companies.

CD Shah is the owner of consultancy firms namely Magus consultancy, M/s Shah and Al Shamli. Sources told ANI that Hilingdon Holdings was the sole shareholder of one M/s Goldhawk DMCC which belongs to Mehul Choksi.
Subsidiaries of Hilingdon Holdings were operating for the interest of Mehul Choksi. Mehul Choksi is the actual controller of these companies, including Hillingdon Holdings.

Choksi went missing from Antigua on May 23 and was caught in Dominica. He was charged with illegal entry into Dominica by police after he allegedly fled Antigua and Barbuda in a possible attempt to avoid extradition to India.
The 62-year-old fugitive is wanted in India in connection with the Rs 13,500 crore fraud in Punjab National Bank.

Meanwhile, the Dominica Ministry of National Security and Home Affairs had declared Mehul Choksi a “prohibited immigrant” on May 25.