india

Updated: Apr 04, 2019 07:14 IST

A senior immigration officer of Vanuatu has written to the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate, confirming he had received a citizenship application from fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi in late 2017, but the same was rejected as there were adverse reports on him by India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), an official familiar with the development said.

The Vanuatu official has claimed, while doing a background check on Modi, he found out that the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had investigated him in 2015.

In 2015, DRI — the lead agency to check customs frauds and smuggling — had probed him for alleged diversion of imported, duty-free, cut and polished diamonds and pearls to the domestic market, according to CBI officials.

These details were mentioned in the FIU report, because of which his application for citizenship in Vanuatu was declined, the immigration officer has told the Indian agencies, the official cited above said.

Both the CBI and the ED see this immigration officer’s email as a “trump card” in their extradition proceedings against Modi — the man at the centre of the ₹11,400 crore Punjab National Bank fraud — at the UK court. They believe the email will strengthen their case in the London court that Modi should not be granted bail as he had intentions to flee the country from the very beginning.

“This is a crucial piece of evidence establishing Nirav Modi’s criminal intent in making arrangements for moving to the remote island nation [of Vanuatu] even before the CBI and ED probe began against him [in January 2018],” said the official, asking not be named. The CBI refused to give an official comment on the development. If required, the Vanuatu immigration officer may also be requested to come to London to testify at a later stage, the official added. The agency didn’t disclose the name of immigration officer as he is a potential witness in the case.

Apart from this email, the ED will also soon file an affidavit in the UK court detailing fresh evidence related to alleged money laundering and assets acquired by Modi in India and abroad, as cited in the second chargesheet filed in March this year.

Westminster’s chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot, while denying bail to Modi last week, had stated, “He [Nirav Modi] was attempting to become a citizen of Vanuatu and that is some way away for someone trying to run businesses, which may indicate he has interest to move away from India at this important time”. Arbuthnot had on December 10 last year ordered the extradition of former liquor baron Vijay Mallya to India. Nirav Modi’s lawyer Vijay Aggarwal refused to comment.