PM's office 'facilitated' Mehul Choksi's escape, claims Congress

New Delhi: The Congress has alleged that the Prime Minister's Office overlooked complaints against Punjab National Bank fraud accused Mehul Choksi and "facilitated" his escape from the country.

Congress leader Pawan Khera, in a statement, claimed that "serious proofs" have come to light that show that "every concerned agency was aware about the serious complaints pending against the runaway diamond trader".

This has been "conceded by none other than Prime Minister's Office on the 3rd of August 2017", the statement claimed.

The PMO "blatantly overlooked" the complaints and "facilitated the runaway" of the Rs 23,484 crore PNB fraud accused, it alleged.

"Connivance of the PMO led by Shri Narendra Modi in the escape of Rs 23,484 Crore PNB scam accused - Mehul Choksi...is now out in the open," Khera alleged.

Ten months before he fled India, Mehul Choksi got the Mumbai passport office in early 2017 to give him a clearance which certified there was no adverse information against him, he alleged.

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, in an interview to a television channel on July 27, 2018, had said the Indian government has not approached them on Mehul Choksi, who has secured citizenship of the Caribbean country, Khera claimed.

"It is important to note that PM Shri Modi had met Gaston Browne in April, 2018, but did not raise the issue of Mehul Choksi's citizenship!" he said.

Khera also claimed that the PMO maintained a "suspicious silence" despite being aware about Mehul Choksi's alleged financial wrongdoings.