New delhi: The CBI has filed a new chargesheet against fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, months after Interpol lifted a Red Corner Notice (RCN) on him for allegedly pledging lab-grown diamonds valued at 98% less than what was anticipated to secure a loan of Rs 25 crore from the IFCI in 2016.
In a chargesheet filed before a special CBI court in Mumbai, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleged that Choksi's company, Gitanjali Gems, borrowed money from the Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) by using as collateral 896 pieces of studded jewellery estimated to be worth more than Rs 45 crore.
As the loan account became a non-performing asset (NPA), the IFCI began taking steps to realise the pledged jewellery, but it received a harsh awakening when updated values revealed the jewellery was worth 98% less than expected.—Inputs from Agencies
