Diamond trader Mehul Choksi has sent a letter to his employees in India, asking them to look for other avenues of employment in the light of the ongoing controversy surrounding him and his nephew, Nirav Modi.
The duo were booked last month by the CBI, and later by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) , in a fraudulent Letter of Undertaking case, in which officials of the Punjab National Bank have also been named as accused.
Confirming the development, Choksi’s lawyer Sanjay Abbot said the letter was sent by him on Friday.
Says false allegations have been levelled against him
The letter, which is in English and runs into two pages, refers to the recent action by investigating agencies, in which assets belonging to the accused have been seized, and claims that “false allegations” have been levelled against him.
“In view of firstly, no certainty about the payment of the salaries, secondly, no certainty about the payment of electricity and maintenance charges of the office to run the office, thirdly, I do not want anyone to suffer due to their connection/association with me, so I request you all to look for other career opportunities elsewhere (sic),” the letter sad.
It goes on to say that the Human Resource Department is being instructed to issue relieving letters and experience certificates to those employees who need them.
“I reiterate that I am committed to clear your past dues, if any, once things return to normality,” the letter states.
The ED has so far seized assets worth ₹5,870 crore belonging to Choksi and Mr. Modi from 192 locations across the country.