Even as India’s biggest banking scam continues to get bigger, with the estimated amount now close to Rs 13,000 crore, owner of Gitanjali Group Mehul Choksi has written again to CBI reiterating that he cannot come back to India, given safety issues. Responding to fresh summons of the investigating agency, Mehul Choksi said that it was impossible for him to return to India and join the investigation due to the suspension of his passport and also highlighted safety issues.

Regional Passport Office hasn’t communicated with me and my passport remains suspended,” Choksi writes in the letter adding that he has the deepest respect for CBI’s offices and he is not making any excuse, whatsoever to travel to India.

Responding by email to the CBI’s notice demanding his appearance, Mehul Choksi said that he is “extremely held up” in his business abroad and is working hard to resolves the issues it is facing due to the unnecessary closure of business in India due to “untenable allegations”. “Further I am unable to travel to India due to my persisting health condition,” Mehul Choksi said in the letter.

The business tycoon said that he had earlier also responded to CBI’s notices. “Surprisingly, the issues raised remain unaddressed, making my fear of safety rise to extreme levels,” Choksi said.

Mehul Choksi also hit out at the media saying that it continues to conduct a trial by itself and “blow every issue out of proportion.” “I further inform that requiring me to join investigation, though leaving me helpless and information less, by various actions taken by multiple agencies is unfair. The manner in which the allegations have been exaggerated has left me completely defenseless,” Mehul Choksi said in the letter.

India’s biggest banking scam involving billionaire diamond merchant Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi is getting bigger by the day and the fraud is now estimated at close to Rs 13,000 crore. Interestingly, both Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi had left the country before the fraud came to light. In an earlier letter, Nirav Modi had denied any wrongdoing, and gave similar reasons for not returning back to India.