The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked a special court to send a Letter of Request (LR) to Belgium to serve a legal notice on Neeshal Modi, the brother of fugitive diamond trader Nirav Modi. The move comes months after the court issued a notice to Neeshal, who is believed to be staying in Belgium.
Court Directs Ministry to Send Letter to Belgium
On Wednesday, the ED requested the special court to issue a Letter of Request (LR). An LR is an official legal request sent by an Indian court to authorities in another country for help in legal matters, such as serving notices or collecting evidence.
The court accepted the ED’s request and directed the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to send the Letter of Request to Belgium.
Neeshal Modi’s Alleged Role
The ED is investigating the alleged multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud involving Nirav Modi and his family.
According to the ED, Neeshal Modi was a partner in several firms, including Diamonds R US, Solar Exports, and Stellar Diamond. The agency alleged that he helped appoint dummy partners in these companies in 2016.
The ED also claimed that Neeshal was a director of Firestar Diamond and that the company received large amounts of money from Hong Kong-based firms.
ED Wants Brothers Declared Fugitive Economic Offenders
In February, the ED asked the court to begin proceedings to declare Nirav Modi, Neeshal Modi, and Nehal Modi as Fugitive Economic Offenders because they allegedly failed to cooperate with the investigation.
Neeshal Modi is believed to be a Belgian national. Meanwhile, Nirav Modi is facing extradition proceedings in the United Kingdom. Their uncle, Mehul Choksi, who is also an accused in the PNB fraud case, is currently facing legal proceedings in Belgium.
Fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, one of the main accused in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, has suffered a major legal setback in Belgium.
The Antwerp Court of Appeal has advised the Belgian government to approve India’s request to extradite Choksi on six of the seven charges against him. The court rejected Choksi’s arguments that he would not receive a fair trial in India and also dismissed his asylum-related claims.
Under Belgian law, the court’s opinion has been sent to the Belgian government, which will take the final decision on whether Choksi should be extradited to India. Choksi is wanted by Indian agencies, including the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), for his alleged role in the nearly ₹13,000-crore Punjab National Bank fraud case. He fled India in 2018 and was arrested in Belgium in April 2025 following India’s extradition request.
What is the Nirav Modi Case?
The Nirav Modi case is one of India’s biggest banking frauds. In 2018, Punjab National Bank (PNB) reported that Nirav Modi and his associates had allegedly cheated the bank of around ₹13,000 crore by fraudulently obtaining Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) from a Mumbai branch.
The fake LoUs were issued without proper approval and were used to obtain overseas credit from other banks. The fraud continued for several years before it was detected.
After the scam came to light, Nirav Modi fled India. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched investigations, filed multiple cases, and attached his properties in India and abroad.
Nirav Modi was arrested in the United Kingdom in 2019 and is currently fighting extradition to India. His uncle, Mehul Choksi, and other family members are also facing legal proceedings in connection with the PNB fraud case.
