India, March 6 -- A special court here has issued notices to absconding diamond businessman Nirav Modi's brothers, asking them to explain why they should not be officially declared a "fugitive economic offender" (FEO) in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam.

The notices were issued to Neeshal and Nehal Modi by special court judge AV Gujarathi, hearing cases filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), on Wednesday in the wake of the Enforcement Directorate's pleas to declare them fugitive under the Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO) Act. Senior executives of Nirav Modi's firm, Aditya Nanavati and Sandeep Mistry, also facing FEO proceedings, have also been served with similar notices. They have been asked to respond by May 7....