The Supreme Court on Monday said that it cannot monitor an investigation into the Punjab National Bank scam in which jeweller Nirav Modi is accused of defrauding the bank of around Rs 13,645 crore, The Hindu reported.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra was hearing a plea, filed by lawyer Vineet Dhanda, seeking an independent inquiry into the scam and proceedings of deportation against Modi.

The Supreme Court said it will hear Attorney General KK Venugopal and the petitioner on the maintainability of the plea. “Prima facie we are of the view that the court cannot monitor it,” Misra said, according to Live Law.

Venugopal argued in the court that the petition should be dismissed as there was no need for the court to interfere when the investigation had gathered pace. He said 41 properties pertaining to the case have been attached, while a Central Bureau of Investigation court has issued non-bailable warrants against Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi

The bench said arguments in the matter will be heard again on April 23.

The Punjab National Bank informed the Bombay Stock Exchange on February 14 that it had detected “fraudulent and unauthorised transactions” worth Rs 11,380 crore at its Brady House branch in South Mumbai. The bank revised this figure to Rs 12,703 crore and later to around Rs 13,645 crore.

A few officials at the public sector bank had allegedly issued fraudulent Letters of Undertaking – essentially letters of credit telling others banks that it would meet a customer’s liabilities – to Modi’s companies. Some bank officials have been arrested and are under investigation.