Congress’ Rajiv Gandhi Foundation received funds from fugitive Mehul Choksi

At a time when the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation financial scandal is still unfolding, shocking details of the Congress-run organisation continue to emerge. Apart from receiving funds from the Chinese government and embassy, the Sonia Gandhi-led RGF also received ‘donations’ from at least seven union ministries and eleven PSUs. Now, as reported by Times Now, fugitive Mehul Choksi’s name has also emerged as one of the donors to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.

The donations by diamantaire Mehul Choksi were made in 2014-2015, under the name of Naviraj Estates Private Limited, of which Choksi is one of the directors. Interestingly, Mehul Choksi assumed the role of director in the said company in 2014 itself, and going by latest information, did not waste a single wakeful moment in pleasing his political masters residing at 10 Janpath. Although the amount of the fugitive’s donations is unclear, what is crystal clear is the hypocrisy of the Congress party, which has made it a mission to somehow link Mehul Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi to PM Narendra Modi, in order to implicate the ruling BJP government.

Only this month, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) brought back from Hong Kong over 2,340 kg of polished diamonds, pearls, and silver jewellery valued at an estimated INR 1,350 crore and owned by firms of fugitive diamantaires Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. BJP’s Amit Malviya, meanwhile, alleged that although there was a pending case in 2015 against Choksi in Karnataka, yet no charge sheet was filed till the time he fled the country. He further suggested that the donations of the fugitive to the Rahul Gandhi Foundation might have served as ‘protection money’.

Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi are both accused in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam in which fraudulent letters of undertaking worth INR 11,356.84 crore were issued. Both fled India in 2018, before CBI began investigations in the same. The absconding fugitives are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. While Nirav Modi is jailed in London for the frauds he committed in India, and whose extradition is under process, Mehul Choksi is believed to be in Antigua after fleeing the country. He had received citizenship of Antigua after fleeing India.

The latest revelation of Mehul Choksi providing funds to the Congress party via the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation go on to dent the Grand Old Party’s campaign against the BJP, in which it has accused the ruling dispensation of siding, and even aiding fugitives in fleeing the country. Now that the party’s think tank has been caught receiving funds from such fugitives, what sort of action follows is yet to be seen.