Court Blames Probe Agencies for Failing to Arrest Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya on Time

Mumbai: A special court in Mumbai recently criticised probe agencies for failing to arrest high-profile scam accused on time, allowing them to flee the country. This criticism came during a hearing on a bail modification request in a separate money laundering case.

The court, presided over by Special Judge M G Deshpande, was considering a plea by Vyomesh Shah, an accused in a PMLA case, who sought to remove a bail condition requiring him to obtain court permission for travelling abroad.

While the Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposed Shah’s request, citing concerns similar to the cases of Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya, and Mehul Choksi, the judge rejected their argument.

“I carefully examined this argument and found it necessary to highlight that these individuals fled due to the investigating agencies’ failure to arrest them at the appropriate time,” Judge Deshpande remarked. He noted that Shah, unlike the aforementioned fugitives, had consistently responded to court summons, secured bail, and made multiple requests for travel permission through proper legal channels.

The court distinguished Shah’s case from those of Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya, and Mehul Choksi, who are all accused of massive financial crimes. Nirav Modi, a diamond merchant, and his uncle Mehul Choksi are the central figures in the PNB scam involving thousands of crores. While Modi is currently imprisoned in the UK, Choksi resides in Antigua. Vijay Mallya, another fugitive residing in the UK, is accused of loan fraud exceeding Rs 900 crore, currently under investigation by the ED and CBI.