The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a fresh chargesheet against fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, his wife Preeti and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in connection with a loan fraud of over Rs 13,000 crore from Punjab National Bank. Officials gave this information on Monday.

This is the first prosecution complaint filed by the ED against Choksi's wife Preeti Pradyot Kumar Kothari. The ED has accused Kothari of "helping her husband to hide the proceeds of the crime".

Officials said the chargesheet filed under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was placed before a special court in Mumbai in March and the court took cognizance of it on Monday.

Besides the Choksi couple, the agency has named in the chargesheet three companies of Choksi - Gitanjali Gems Ltd, Gilli India Ltd and Nakshatra Brand Ltd and Gokulnath Shetty, retired deputy manager (Brady House branch, Mumbai) of Punjab National Bank. This is the third chargesheet against Choksi after the ED filed the first two chargesheets in 2018 and 2020.

It is understood that the ED will request the extradition of Choksi's wife from Antigua, where the couple is currently residing. Based on this charge sheet, the agency may also notify an Interpol arrest warrant against Choksi's wife. Choksi has been living in Antigua since 2018 after absconding from India.

The ED has alleged that Preeti was "involved in a cheating case along with her husband Mehul Choksi. She was instrumental in consolidating companies and misappropriating the proceeds of the crime, using them and presenting them as spotless". "

The ED alleged that "she knew about the source of the money which was being carried by her husband illegally and fraudulently. She was involved in the offense relating to money laundering." The ED said Preeti was the "ultimate beneficial owner" of three UAE-based companies Hillingdon Holdings Ltd, Chatting Cross Holdings Ltd and Colindale Holdings Ltd.