PNB scam: Mehul Choksi's US flat attached by ED was transferred to daughter-in-law in 2015

Among the properties attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, alleged to be the prime conspirator in the Rs. 6,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, is a New York apartment that he had transferred to his daughter-in-law free of cost in 2015.

The agency has stated this in its second supplementary charge sheet filed in the bank-fraud case, of which the ED is probing the money-laundering aspect. The property situated in Manhattan, New York had been bought in 2010 by Choksi from one Robert Liubicic for around Rs. 5.72 crores.

The agency found that the flat was transferred to one My Tree, 1211, LLC without any consideration. It obtained documents in this regard and found that the address of both sellers - Choksi and the buyer - My Tree, 1211, LLC is the same.

The agency then obtained further documents. In the ‘Affidavit of Compliance’ dated July 24, 2015, Choksi had been mentioned as ‘grantor’ and ‘My Tree 1211 LLC by Snagdha Talreja’ had been shown as ‘grantee’.

The ED said that it learnt that Snagdha Talreja, to whom Mehul Choksi had transferred the property, is his daughter-in-law, the wife of his son Rohan Choksi.

The agency concluded that the flat is still under beneficial possession of the diamantaire. Its probe found that a huge amount of the tainted money had been siphoned off by Choksi and was not available for attachment. Hence, it attached the property following a provisional attachment order of Oct 8, 2020.