Continuing with its attack on the Narendra Modi government over bank defrauds, the Congress party today accused the ruling dispensation for allowing diamond businessman Jatin Mehta and his wife to leave the country after having duped banks of Rs 6712 crore.
The Congress claimed that after Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, another jeweller from Palanpur, Gujarat, Jatin Mehta, has duped banks, including Punjab National Bank of Rs 6712 crore through his three companies Winsome Diamonds and Jewellery Limited, Forever Precious Jewellery & Diamonds Limited and Su Raj Diamonds.
“The methodology to dupe was the same as that of Nirav Modi. Gold was imported based on letters of credit issued by Indian banks. Jewellery was exported to 13 entities in Dubai, who refused to pay and the money vanished,” said Randeep Surjewala, head of AICC Communications Department.
Surjewala said the three “M's” – Modi, Mehul and Mehta – have followed the same modus operandi, which is to raise money through letters of credit, fleece it and fly away to foreign shores. “The total scams have now risen to Rs 39,000 crore,” he said.
The Congress claims the Modi government had been alerted about the scam. Complaints were filed by the banks to the CBI and also the Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai Police in 2014. “Despite all this, the Modi government and the CBI remained mum. The CBI lodged six FIRs for the first time after three-and-a-half years on April 5, 2017, by taking a fresh complaint on April 4, 2017, to cover up the inaction,” Surjewala said.
He claimed that Mehta and his wife have taken citizenship in tax haven, St Kitts and Nevis.
The Congress alleged that the Modi government looked the other way as Mehta duped banks and left the country, since he is related to a businessman who is close to the Prime Minister.
“Does the protection emanate on account of his close relationship with an industrial house close to the Prime Minister through marriage of his son?” Surjewala asked.
“Dupe, deceive, defraud and depart is the new badge of honour for scamsters under the Modi regime. Modiji remains on maun vrat, while Jan-Dhan-Gaban-Yojna rises to Rs 39,000 crore,” he said.
The Congress carried on with its attack on the Modi government on bank scams even as a CBI court granted custody of Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram, to the investigating agency for five days in the INX Media case.