Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil alleged that Nirav Modi and Choksi have not only siphoned off crores of rupees from India's banks, but have also duped India's middle class and common people of Rs 5,000 crore or more, by floating various schemes.
He said a new "'Jan Dhan Loot Yojna has unravelled - where Gutanjali Gems promoters floated jewellery investment schemes like Shagun, 'Swarna Mangal Labh' (SML) and 'Swarna Mangal Kalash' (SMK) taking an estimated Rs 5,000 crore of public money".
Gohil said as per the schemes, customers were lured with benefits of bonus and one free instalment at redemption and a large number of people were duped as payments were not paid to them.
He said in Gujarat's Bhavnagar alone there are hundreds of complaints pending with the state police which did not act on them. He said people have given affidavits in September 2015 and made public such documents.
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Like in the case of banks, he said, the common man was duped by way of these schemes as neither the instalment paid nor jewellery given or amount returned.
He said the most interesting fact is that although complaints were given on October 10, 2017, Gujarat Police waited up to January 25, 2018 by when Nirav Modi and Choksi had fled the country along with their families.
"It is indeed surprising that people were being defrauded with impunity and the entire government machinery of BJP remained a mute spectator. Complicity and protection at the highest level is, thus, writ large," he alleged, adding that there are hundreds of more such complaints across the country.
"Why is the BJP mum on the connections of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi to the BJP leadership?," he asked.
The Congres spokesperson also asked whether Mehul Choksi was invited to a small gathering when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Gold Monetisation Scheme in 2015?
"Did Prime Minister not refer to Mehul Choksi with great affection in his speech, specially addressing him as 'hamaare Mehul bhai?'," he asked.
Gohil charged that Mehul Choksi and Gitanjali Group showcased creation by Shaina NC in August 2015 and the show was presided over by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's wife Amruta Fadnavis and daughter of the then Gujarat chief minister Anar Patel. They gave big advertisements in newspapers to exhibit their clout, he alleged
The Congress leader also demanded that names of all such cheated people be made public. He said the government should answer why FIRs and action were not initiated against those behind such duping.