Fugitive Diamantaire Mehta Found Living in London
July 28, 22
(IDEX Online) - Fugitive diamond merchant Jatin Mehta, wanted in India over sophisticated $1bn fraud, has found living an "expensive lifestyle" in Britain and has had his assets frozen by a court there.
He is alleged to have been behind a scam to defraud a gold bullion and jewelry manufacturer and a diamond company in India, using a complex web of companies in the UAE, Britain, Singapore and Ireland.
The family, former owners of Winsome Diamonds, have been living in London after being granted citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis, which has no extradition arrangement with India.
The High Courtin London, which froze the family's assets, heard that Mehta, his wife Sonia, and two sons Vishal and Suraj were found living in three houses in the capital, in upmarket St John's Wood, Maida Vale and Hampstead Garden Suburb.
Meanwhile, Mehta has filed a $5bn claim against De Beers, Standard Chartered Bank and Kroll, the corporate investigation and risk consulting firm, claiming they had "conspired over a number of years to destroy Mr. Mehta's business and his and his family's reputations".