Centre to present fugitive economic offenders bill, says Rajnath

Dadra Nagar Haveli [India], Apr 21 (ANI): Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday announced that the Centre will be presenting a fugitive economic offenders bill before the Parliament, to prevent economic offenders from fleeing abroad.

"Opposition levels allegations that some Nirav (Modi) and (Mehul) Choksi fled abroad. We will present a fugitive economic offenders bill before Parliament. Earlier offenders used to flee abroad and their properties were not seized. Now their properties will be seized under the bill," Singh said while addressing a gathering here.

Celebrity jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle and business partner, Mehul Choksi are the prime accused in the multi-crore scam that hit Punjab National Bank (PNB). Both have been absconding arrest and while speculated that Modi is in Hong Kong, Choksi is believed to be in the United States.

The Home Minister was in Dadra Nagar Haveli to inaugurate a number of development projects.

Underlining the natural beauty of the union territory, Singh said it had the potential to be a good tourist destination, as well as be a centre of industrial development due to its proximity to Mumbai.

"There is a huge potential for industrial development. It is because I believe that tariffs here are lower than most states, and single-window system is also available," Singh added.

He also informed that a campaign titled 'Gram Swaraj Abhiyan Yojana' has been launched, wherein government officials will be making field visits from April 14 until May 5, to monitor progress of various development schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Ghar Yojna (Soubhagya). (ANI)