Mumbai court issues summons to Nirav Modi in tax evasion case

A local court in Mumbai issued summons to diamantaire Nirav Modi in connection with an income tax evasion probe against him and his companies, officials said.

They said the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate issued the summons and asked Modi to appear before it on March 12.

The court issued the notice after the Income Tax Department had last week filed a charge sheet against him for alleged evasion of taxes and the court took cognisance of it today.

The department's counsel today sought issuance of a non bailable (NBW) warrant against him as Modi has not appeared before the taxman after summons were issued to him.

The charge sheet was filed under sections 276 C (1) (wilful attempt to evade tax), 277 A (false statement in verification), 278 B (offences by companies) and 278 E (presumption as to culpable mental state) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

The department had yesterday said that it has seized a collection of 173 paintings and art works recovered during raids conducted at premises linked with Modi.

It had also provisionally attached 29 properties and 105 bank accounts of the diamond merchant, his family and firms as part of this probe.

Modi, his uncle and Gitanjali Gems promoter Mehul Choksi and others are being investigated by multiple probe agencies after it recently came to light, following a complaint by the Punjab National Bank (PNB), that they allegedly cheated the bank to the tune of Rs 11,400 crore, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have registered two FIRs each to probe this case.

PTI