The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday approached the Interpol seeking Red Corner Notice against businessman Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, PTI reported, quoting unidentified officials. Modi and his associates are accused of cheating the Punjab National Bank of more than Rs 13,000 crore.

Earlier on Monday, British Minister for Counter Terrorism Baroness Williams, who met Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju in New Delhi, confirmed that Modi was currently in the United Kingdom, The Indian Express reported. A report in the Financial Times said Modi has sought political asylum in the United Kingdom.

Rijiju said he told Williams that the Indian government expected the UK to cooperate in extraditing anyone who is wanted in India. “The minister assured cooperation on whether it is Nirav Modi or Vijay Mallya,” he told reporters after his meeting. “There are elements using UK’s land to propagate anti-India activities. I have requested the minister that it must be curtailed.”

The scam

On February 14, the Punjab National Bank informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that it had detected “fraudulent and unauthorised transactions” worth Rs 11,380 crore at its Brady House branch in South Mumbai. The bank later revised the figure to Rs 12,703 crore and later to around Rs 13,645 crore. Nirav Modi and his family flew out of India during in the first week of January.

A few officials of the public sector bank had allegedly issued fraudulent Letters of Undertaking to Modi’s companies. Some of them have been arrested and are under investigation.

On May 24, the Enforcement Directorate filed its first chargesheet against the fugitive businessman and his associates in the case. The 12,000-page chargesheet was filed in a special court in Mumbai under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.