The CBI has opened a new investigation into Mehul Choksi

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• May 2, 2022 | Sourav Boruah

mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#757575"> Digital Desk: The
CBI has filed a new case against fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, his company
Gitanjali Gems Ltd (GGL), and others for allegedly defrauding IFCI Ltd, a
government of India agency, out of Rs 22.6 crore between 2014 and 2018.

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mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#424242">Choksi approached IFCI
Ltd seeking financial help for its long-term working capital demand, according
to the CBI's first information report (FIR) filed on Saturday, and encouraged
the financial institution to issue a corporate loan of Rs 25 crore in March
2016.

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mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#424242">According to the FIR,
the IFCI Ltd relied on GGL's and Choksi's representations, guarantees, and
undertakings, as well as the value of the pledged gems as determined by valuers
Surajrml Lallu Bhai and Company, Narendra Jhaveri, Pradip Shah, and Shrenik Shah.

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mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#424242">The loan was allegedly
disbursed on the basis of a two-fold security cover based on the promise of
shares and the pledge of gold, diamond, and gold studded jewellery, all of
which were valued by the listed valuers. They've all been labelled as suspects.
The FIR has been reviewed by HT.

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Choksi's company
defaulted on loan installments, according to the CBI, and IFCI Ltd used the
pledge to recover the money. However, out of the total 20,60,054 pledged
shares, it could only sell 6,48822 shares worth Rs 4.07 crore because Choksi's
client ID was suspended by National Securities Depository Ltd.

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IFCI appointed two valuers to complete a new valuation of
the pledged jewels in order to realise the security (gold, diamonds and gold
studded jewellery). The pledged gems' value had dropped by 98 percent in three
years, according to the new estimate.

"It was also discovered that the diamonds were
low-quality laboratory generated chemical vapour diamonds and other inferior
colour stones, not real gemstones," the CBI stated in the FIR.