New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on June 10 filed a fresh charge sheet against diamantaireMehulChoksi and 21 others in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam in which the fugitive has been charged with destruction of evidence for the first time. The agency’s charge sheet claims Choksi, in connivance with officials of PNB, got 165 Letters of Undertaking (LOUs) and 58 FLCs (Foreign Letters of Credit) issued fraudulently in 2017 causing a loss of ₹6,097 crores ($952 million) to the bank and then indulged in a cover-up.

The supplementary charge sheet charges Choksi under sections 201 (destruction of evidence), and cheating, criminal conspiracy and prevention of corruption act.

Officials familiar with developments said the latest charge sheet will be shared with authorities and the court in Dominica to boost India’s deportation plea. HT has accessed a copy of the charge sheet.

Apart from Choksi, 21 individuals and companies are named in the charge sheet, including retired deputy manager of PNB GokulnathShetty, single-window operator Hanumant Karat, former managing director of Allahabad Bank UshaAnanthasubramaniam, former executive directors of PNB KV Brahmaji Rao and Sanjiv Sharan, former general manager of the bank NehalAhad, former vice president of Choksi’sGitanjali Group VipulChitalia, and several companies.

The charge sheet says, “In December 2017, MehulChoksi visited Hong Kong and met dummy directors of Hong Kong-based supplier entities (controlled by him) and told them that problems are going on in India related to his company – Gitanjali Group and that they might have to face Enforcement Directorate (ED) inquiries.”

“This shows that Mehul Choksi had prior knowledge about the impending criminal proceedings. Hence, he fled the country on January 4, 2018, with dishonest intent, to evade the process of law”.

Choksi also told his companies’ dummy directors in Hong Kong that they must apply for a Thailand visa as the operation in Hong Kong would be closed, the charge sheet adds. “He got them (dummy directors) shifted to Bangkok in February 2018, when the fraud came to light and persuaded them not to visit India to face investigating agencies.”