Banking fraud fallout: Court allows ED to grill those held in PNB case

A special CBI court today allowed the Enforcement Directorate's plea seeking permission to interrogate employees of the Nirav Modi group firms who are in judicial custody in the alleged Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud.

"The ED's plea is allowed," said special CBI judge S R Tamboli.

The agency had last week approached the court seeking its nod to question some of the accused, arrested by the CBI, who are in judicial custody at present.

The accused are lodged in high security Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai.

"We had sought permission saying that we have registered a case and we want to interrogate them," said an ED official.

The ED had sought permission to interrogate Vipul Ambani (president, Finance, Fire Star Diamond--a Nirav Modi group firm), Manish Bosamiya (then assistant general manager, Operation, of Firestar International Pvt. Ltd), Miten Pandia (then Financial Manager at Firestar International), Sanjay Rambhia (Auditor of Nirav Modi group), Vipul Chatalia (Vice President, Banking operations, Firestar) and Kavita Mankikar (executive assistant and authorised signatory of Diamond R US, Stellar Diamond, and Solar Exports).