National
Absconder Mehul Choksi in IT’s gold probe since 2012 (IANS Exclusive)
By Quaid Najmi
Mumbai, Feb 16 (IANS) One of the absconders in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, Mehul Choksi, was under the scanner of the Mumbai Income Tax Department (Investigation) in 2012 for alleged duty violations while importing huge quantities of gold and diamond items.
According to replies received under RTI in 2012, from the Mumbai Customs Department by activist Manoranjan S. Roy, huge quantities of gold were imported by major Indian companies and many had not paid duty that year.
Among the companies named by Mumbai Customs Department were Choksi’s group businesses — Gitanjali Gems Ltd, which imported 750 kg of gold items, Gitanjali Jewellery Ltd imported 171 kg and Gili India Ltd imported 182 kg and 134 pieces (implying gold articles) — all allegedly without paying a single rupee as duty.
The total gold and diamonds imported by Choksi’s companies came to 1,103 kg that year. It was allegedly cleared by the Customs department without paying any duty.
“After the Mumbai Customs’ shocking revelations, I checked further to learn that Gitanjali Jewellery Ltd. was not even registered with the Registrar of Companies. There are no records available of this company’s existence, yet it succeeded in importing 171 kg of gold undetected,” Roy said.
Armed with this expose, Roy complained to then Director General of Income Tax (Investigation) on August 16, 2012, seeking a detailed probe.
He pursued it vigorously. Finally in 2017, he approached then DG of IT (Investigation), B.D. Bishnoi in Mumbai.
“Bishnoi was cooperative but directed me to follow up with the concerned Principal Director, ITI, P.S. Paniay. When I met him, Paniay brushed me off saying I must contact the local headquarters or Finance Ministry. Since then, I made several trips, but the entire issue has been stuck without progress,” Roy told IANS.
Choksi is an uncle of diamond and jewellery trader Nirav Modi, who has reportedly fled from India with his wife after being linked to a huge financial scam involving the Punjab National Bank.
There were more stunning revelations in the Mumbai Customs RTI replies.
“Their records show nearly three dozen top Indian diamond and gold jewellery companies who have imported more than 75 tonnes – exact figures are 75,724.54 kg of gold and diamond items in 2012. No duty was paid by any of these companies on this massive quantity,” said Roy.
Morever, these companies used and sold this ‘duty free’ gold in the markets, but it is unclear whether this was declared to the IT Department, failing which the losses to the exchequer could be manifold, Roy said.
Further research made with the Registrar of Companies and the Maharashtra Sales Tax Department revealed that many of the companies which had imported gold and diamonds were not registered with either (RoC or MSTD).
“When I raised the matter with the Mumbai Customs Department, they washed off their hands claiming it was not within their jurisdiction to ensure whether any gold-diamond importer was registered with RoC or MSTD. They contended that their jurisdiction pertained to collection of customs duty,” Roy said.
On Roy’s prodding why they failed to charge or collect duties on such a huge quantity, “no official had any response”.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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