Warrant against Nirav

A special CBI court in Mumbai is reported to have issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against billioire diamond merchant Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi in connection with cases related to the over US $ 2 billion banking fraud in the Punjab tiol Bank. The special court has allowed the application of the agency for issuance NBWs against Modi and Choksi who had repeatedly refused to join the investigation in the scam, considered the biggest in the banking history of India. The agency apparently wrote to Modi and Choksi to join the probe on their official e-mail IDs, but they have refused to join it citing business engagements and health issues. Apparently the issuance of NBWs by a court also opens the door to seeking Red Corner Notices against both the accused from the Interpol. Chi has said that Hong Kong can take a decision on India’s request to arrest the fugitive Nirav Modi on the basis of its laws and judicial assistance agreements. There is a strong sense of the déjà vu in all such protestations of what the Indian government can do and will do in all cases of a crimil in high places being allowed to loot a bank and flee the country and refuse to return. Our past experience has been that the Indian government never succeeds in getting such prodigals back to the country after they are given carte blanche to do precisely what they want. And the corner colour of the notices issued to them by the Interpol has never made any difference to the outcome of the exertions. The crimil has always won.