NEW DELHI: Taking a dig at fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the government was serious about taking “strict action” against economic offenders who flee the country.
“Our government has formed laws—Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill—to take action against fugitive economic offenders. I assure you that our government will take action against the fugitives. That process is under way,” Singh said in Kanpur.
Singh’s statement came hours after Mehul Choski, in a video statement issued to a news agency, claimed that all allegations against him in connection with the alleged scam at the Punjab National Bank (PNB) were “false and baseless”.
“The allegations levelled by the Enforcement Directorate are false and baseless. They have attacked my properties illegally without there being any basis of the same,” Choksi said.
“The passport authorities revoked my passport altogether in view of which I was immobilised. On February 16, I received an email from the passport office which said that my passport has been suspended due to reasons of security threat to India. On February 20, I sent an email to the regional passport office, Mumbai, requesting them to revoke the suspension of my passport. However, I did not receive any reply from the regional passport office,” Choski added.
Meanwhile, attacking the government over the issue, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “Facts point at the PM and his office’s complicity in the escape of PNB fraud accused Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, who looted public banks to the tune of 24,000 crore.”