The Enforcement Directorate investigating the over Rs 11,000-crore PNB fraud case today approached a Mumbai court seeking issuance of Letters Rogatory (LRs) for obtaining information about the overseas businesses and assets of diamantaire Nirav Modi.


"It is an application for issuance of LR under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for recovery/seizure of proceeds of crime and collection of documents, evidence lying in Hongkong, USA, UK, UAE, South Africa and Singapore which are required in connection with the investigation," the ED said in its plea before the PMLA court.


Letters Rogatory are a request from a court of a sovereign nation to a court of another sovereign nation. Judge M S Azmi today heard the arguments of special public prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar.


The ED told the court that Nirav Modi established various firms, including Diamond R US, Solar Exports, Stellar Diamond, Firestar Diamond, and became an integrated diamond manufacturer who bought rough diamonds, sold polished ones and other stones and also designed jewellery.


His business consisted of trading in rough and polished diamonds, private label jewellery manufacturing and sale in the name and style of 'Nirav Modi' and 'Firestars' as well as production of unlabelled jewellery for third parties, the ED said. -- PTI