<p class="title">The CBI on Thursday requested a court here to declare Mehul Choksi, the prime accused in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, a proclaimed offender, saying he has failed to respond to a non-bailable warrant.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In an application before special judge for CBI cases V C Barde, the agency said Choksi left the country even before the first FIR was filed in the case to "conceal himself".</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Choksi has already taken citizenship of Antigua, one of the Caribbean Islands, in order to avoid execution of warrant issued by the court," it said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The CBI also opposed Choksi's plea for cancelation of the NBW issued against him.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The accused is absconding... It's our right to interrogate him," CBI lawyer A Limosin said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The court adjourned the hearing to October 17 for further arguments.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The CBI requested the court to declare Choksi a proclaimed offender and attach his properties under the Code of Criminal Procedure.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Under section 82 of CrPC, a court can publish a proclamation requiring the accused to appear if the warrant issued against him cannot be executed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">According to section 83 of CrPC, after issuing such a proclamation, the court may also order attachment of the proclaimed offender's properties.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, owners of high-profile jewellery brands, are accused of cheating PNB of over Rs 13,000 crore by obtaining Letters of Undertaking (guarantee to overseas banks for credit facility) fraudulently.</p>
<p class="title">The CBI on Thursday requested a court here to declare Mehul Choksi, the prime accused in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, a proclaimed offender, saying he has failed to respond to a non-bailable warrant.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In an application before special judge for CBI cases V C Barde, the agency said Choksi left the country even before the first FIR was filed in the case to "conceal himself".</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Choksi has already taken citizenship of Antigua, one of the Caribbean Islands, in order to avoid execution of warrant issued by the court," it said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The CBI also opposed Choksi's plea for cancelation of the NBW issued against him.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The accused is absconding... It's our right to interrogate him," CBI lawyer A Limosin said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The court adjourned the hearing to October 17 for further arguments.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The CBI requested the court to declare Choksi a proclaimed offender and attach his properties under the Code of Criminal Procedure.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Under section 82 of CrPC, a court can publish a proclamation requiring the accused to appear if the warrant issued against him cannot be executed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">According to section 83 of CrPC, after issuing such a proclamation, the court may also order attachment of the proclaimed offender's properties.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, owners of high-profile jewellery brands, are accused of cheating PNB of over Rs 13,000 crore by obtaining Letters of Undertaking (guarantee to overseas banks for credit facility) fraudulently.</p>