Mumbai, Sep 26 (PTI) A special court has granted Maiank Mehta, brother-in-law of absconding businessman Nirav Modi, a pardon in the case linked to the multi-million dollar Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, making him an approver.

Special CBI Judge A V Gujarathi on September 22 allowed Mehta’s plea for pardon on the condition that he will make a “full and true disclosure of the whole of the circumstances within knowledge relative to offence and every other person concerned”.

Following the pardon, the accused shall be marked as an approver in the case, said the order, a copy of which was made available on Friday.

Mehta, a British citizen and Hong Kong resident for about 35 years, is an accused in the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) case registered under Indian Penal Code sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust) and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

In his plea, Mehta contended that he had already been granted a pardon in the cases registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), wherein the predicate offence – the CBI case – is the same.

Mehta also submitted that he voluntarily came to India in September 2021 to participate in the proceedings.

Lawyer Amit Desai, who represented Mehta, said that the accused has assisted the prosecution and the government of India in multiple aspects.

Mehta pleaded for pardon, saying he was ready to make a full and true disclosure of the circumstances within his knowledge related to the matter.

The prosecution, represented by public prosecutor Arvind Aghav, did not object to Mehta’s plea, admitting that a pardon had been previously granted in similar PMLA cases.

After hearing both sides and considering the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) provisions under which the plea was filed, the court ruled that “the accused shall be marked as approver”.

The court directed that the accused, currently staying abroad, shall be directed to present himself before the court.

“The prosecution shall take necessary steps to facilitate the approach of the accused to India to take part in the proceeding as soon as may be, in the facts and circumstances prevailing currently,” the court said.

Absconding diamantaire Mehul Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are prime accused in the multi-crore PNB (Punjab National Bank) scam, being probed by both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.

They are accused of allegedly siphoning off over Rs 13,000 crore of public money from the PNB using Letters of Undertaking (LoU) and foreign letters of credit (FLCs) by bribing officials of the bank's Brady House branch in Mumbai.

Choksi is facing extradition proceedings in a Belgian court, while Modi is lodged in a London jail. PTI AVI NR

Pardon and approver status granted conditional on full and true disclosure; court to facilitate accused's return for cooperation. A court granted the accused a pardon converting him into an approver conditional on making a full and true disclosure of all circumstances within his knowledge, noting the prosecution's non opposition and directing facilitation of his return to India so he may participate in proceedings and provide the mandated disclosure.