How Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, collaborators in Vibrant Gujarat 2017, fleeced state jewellery customers

By Shaktisinh Gohil*
Nirav Modi ("chhota Modi") and Mehul Choksi ("hamare Mehulbhai") have not only siphoned off from India’s banks a sum of Rs 21,306 crore. A new layer of conspiracy has now been unearthed which discloses that India’s middle class and common people have also been duped of Rs.5,000 crore or perhaps more. A complicit Modi Government has even refused to publicly acknowledge this loot.
Gitanjali Gems Limited had floated three jewellery investment schemes, i.e. (a) Shagun, (b) Swarna Mangal Labh, and (c) Swarna Mangal Kalash. Modus operandi of the scheme was that an ordinary person, seeking to buy jewellery as also to earn a return on investment, was required to pay 11 installments of a specified amount. In return, the Gitanjali group offered to pay the 12th installment as free. Tenure of these installments could be 12 months, 24 months or 36 months. At the end of the tenure, the amount so accumulated could be redeemed for jewellery with an additional bonus of up to 50%.
Like in the case of banks, the common man was duped by way of these schemes. In a huge number of cases, neither the installment was paid nor the jewellery given, nor the amount returned. Consequently, a large number of police complaints were filed in Gujarat by way of affidavits in September 2015 Annexures A-1 to A-4 (Click HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE to see the four affidavits submitted to the Gujarat police. Click HERE for copy of the card issued for the scheme).
On 10th October, 2017, a large number of persons again filed complaints against the fraud being played upon common men by Gitanjali Group. Shockingly, instead of registering FIR and arresting Nirav Modi/Mehul Choksi and others, the Bhavnagar Police, with whom the complaints were filed, kept the matter pending and finally referred it by recording that it should be investigated by CID Crime, Gandhinagar (click HERE for copy of the translated version of the police report).
Interestingly, although complaints were given on 10th October, 2017, Gujarat Police waited up to 25th January, 2018, by when Nirav Modi/Mehul Choksi had run away from the country along with their families. Across Gujarat, there are thousands of such cases, where there was complete inaction by police in proceeding against Nirav Modi/Mehul Choksi.
It is indeed surprising that people were defrauded with impunity and the entire government machinery of BJP remained a mute spectator. Complicity and protection at the highest level is, thus, writ large.
Despite huge number of complaints of fraud and duping of common men pending, the BJP Government projected Gitanjali Group of Mehul Choksi/Nirav Modi as a Ccllaborator for the Vibrant Gujarat Summit of2017 held between 10-13 January, 2017 (click HERE for a copy). No wonder, there was complete inaction against Chhota Modi and his uncle.
It is necessary to ask:

Why is BJP mum on the connections of Nirav Modi/Mehul Choksi to BJP leadership?
Was Mehul Choksi not invited in the small gathering when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Gold Monetization Scheme in the year 2015? Did Prime Minister not refer to Mehul Choksi with great affection in his speech, specially addressing him as ‘Hamare Mehulbhai’?
Was Nirav Modi not part of the gathering of Indian CEOs photographed with the Prime Minister, in Davos, Switzerland, on 23rd January, 2018 (after his escape from India) and was this photograph was released by PMO, PIB and MEA Twitter handles?
Why is the Prime Minister fighting shy of admitting his connection to Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi?
Is it true that Aparna Chaudasama (sister-in-law of BJP spokesperson and Maharashtra BJP’s Ms Shaina NC) was head of sales with Nirav Modi?
(v) Is it correct that Mehul Choksi and Geetanjali Group had showcased creation by Ms Shaina NC in August, 2015? Is it correct that this show was presided over by Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis and Anar Patel, daughter of former Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, was also present as a guest of honour in the function? Is it correct that Mehul Choksi had given huge ads in newspapers of this function showcasing the sponsored event by Gitanjali Group along with pictures of the persons named above to project his proximity (click HERE for copy of the ad)?

---
*National spokesperson, All-India Congress Committee

Comments

RSS wanted Constitution 'replaced' by Manusmriti which abused Dalits, women

By Shamsul Islam* The Constituent Assembly of India finalized the Constitution of India on November 26, 1949 which is celebrated as the Constitution Day This Constitution promised new born Indian Republic a polity based on democracy, justice, egalitarianism and rule of law. However, RSS was greatly annoyed. Four days after the historic event of approval of it, the RSS English “Organiser” in an editorial on November 30, 1949, complained:

Nuclear energy 'can't solve' global warming, will 'strain' financial, natural resource

Counterview Desk Taking strong exception to Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who has favoured nuclear energy as a solution to global warning, well-known power and policy analyst Shankar Sharma has said that the IAEA chief's “unsubstantiated advocacy” of nuclear power is associated with “diversion of considerable amounts of scarce resources, both financial as well as natural, of many developing countries, such as India.”

Covid taught us: Exams are cruel process of 'eliminating' those seeking education

By Sandeep Pandey, Seema Muniz, Gopal Krishna Verma* Some people are disheartened with the disruption in children’s education due to the menace of Covid and the successive lockdowns. While a number of children are getting used to attending online classes, their counterparts from the weaker socio-economic backgrounds continue to struggle either because of unfamiliarity with technology or because of having to share a single device with their siblings and/or parents. More unfortunate ones have been completely pushed out of the system which has resulted in the virtual drop in the rate of enrolment.

Book on Bhil rebels offers other side of history, neglected by 'nationalist' historians

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* One of the major accusations against Indian historians is that of neglecting and ignoring the role of the marginalised in the freedom struggle. Most of the time, we are ‘informed’ that there were some ‘heroes’ and ‘villains’ of the freedom movement, all of them belonging to the same stock of caste as well as ‘power’ positions as their opponents.

Mysterious death of Kishenji 'triggered' series of splits in Maoist camp in India

By Harsh Thakor* On November 24 fell the 10th death anniversary of Kishenji, a prominent Maoist leader, he was also a poet, a scientist, and a soldier. Since his school days he dreamt of planting the seed to create new man. Born in 1954 in Peddapally town (in Karimnagar district, north Telangana), Kishenji was raised by his father Venkataiah (a “freedom fighter”, he called him) and a progressive mother, Madhuramma.

Govt of India responsible for 71% delays in NREGA wage payments, say economists

Counterview Desk In an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, more than 70 economists have urged the Government of India to release “adequate funds” for implementing the rural jobs guarantee scheme under the MGNREGA immediately, pointing out that the pandemic continues to adversely affect the living condition of working families.

Learning to bridge 'huge chasm' between highly educated, illiterate, badly literate

By Shrey Ostwal, Sandeep Pandey* The pivotal point of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s journey to become Mahatma Gandhi began when his “political guru” – Gopal Krishna Gokhale – advised young Mohandas to travel around India. This rigorous journey was essential for Mohandas to understand his country and countrypersons better if he were to fight the inhumane and unempathetic British regime which had been looting India of its glory for about two centuries then.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Arrest of top J&K civil society leader shows contempt for international law: PUCL

Counterview Desk Commenting on the arrest of Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez, India’s top human rights advocacy group, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), has said that the Government of India action is “one more attempt ... to silence peaceful, non-violent dissenters”, adding, it suggests how “a brutalizing state machinery" has been acting.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Counterview

Search This Blog