Mehul Choksi letter to employees: ‘Will not be able to pay your salaries, look for jobs elsewhere’

Mehul Choksi letter to employees: “The kind of unfair treatment, unfair investigation, media frenzy and political statements are making me highly insecure about the safety of myself and my family members,” he said. (Express Photo)

Gitanjali Gems promoter Mehul Choksi has written to his employees saying a situation of “fear and injustice” has been created against him and the company. Choksi, who is accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank of Rs 11,400 crore, added that he is facing problems due to the manner in which multiple investigating agencies, which are “hell bent on stopping the operations”, have started to “create havoc”.

Choksi also informed his employees that it is very tough for him to clear their dues or to pay future salaries, “in view of the seizing of the various bank accounts and other properties.”

Also read | Nirav Modi effect: Another bank reports default to CBI

Choksi, who is accused in the alleged scam along with billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi, asked his employees to look for other career opportunities. He also told them to retain their office laptops and mobile phones till their dues are cleared.

“I will face my destiny and I know I have done nothing wrong and ultimately the truth shall prevail,” Choksi wrote in an email, released by his lawyer Sanjay Abbot yesterday.

“But, I do not want anybody to get even a shadow of adversity or injustice onto the people just because of their association with me. At this moment, the investigating agencies seem to be interested not in a fair investigation but in creating a fear psychosis within my employees. The kind of unfair treatment, unfair investigation, media frenzy and political statements are making me highly insecure about the safety of myself and my family members,” he added.

Earlier, diamantaire Modi also blamed the PNB for “destroying” his brand and said the bank has shut the doors on his ability to repay the debt. Modi who is facing multi-pronged investigations, wrote a letter to the bank’s management last week, blaming the bank for damaging his business and stating that his dues were much less than what the bank claimed, reported PTI. Read more here.

Choksi and Modi are being investigated by the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department after PNB detected the fraudulent transactions and alleged that they cheated the nationalised bank to the tune of Rs 11,400 crore, with the involvement of a few of its employees.

The CBI and the ED have registered two FIRs each in the case. Both Choksi and Modi left the country before the criminal cases were lodged against them. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has suspended their passports for four weeks.

RELATED READ | PNB scam timeline

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