Indian authorities are doing everything to ensure the swift deportation of fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi from Dominica, the foreign ministry said Thursday.
“Legal proceedings are underway. The Indian government is actively engaged with the Dominican government to demand the swift expulsion of Mehul Choksi to be brought to justice in our country, â€MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi said.
He added that the criminal charges against the diamond dealer and the facts relating to his maintenance of Indian citizenship have been brought to the attention of the Dominican authorities.
CBI Affidavit to Dominica HC
The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the PNB bank fraud case against Choksi, recently filed an affidavit in Dominica’s High Court opposing Choksi’s bail application.
Investigating authorities said the businessman “is and remains an international fugitive who continues to evade law enforcement in India.”
The affidavit filed through CBI Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sharda Raut, who heads Indian investigative agencies in Dominica, informed the court of the facts of the pending case in India against Choksi.
On the complaint filed by the Indian government, a “red notice” was issued against Choksi by Interpol, CBI told Dominica court.
“Mehul Choksi is fully aware of the proceedings in India. He has appointed lawyers in India and one of them recently gave a press interview on the events in Dominica supporting the version put forward by Choksi,” said the CBI.
“It is unfortunate that Choksi removed all of this from the tribunal and instead suggested that there be no proceedings against him in India,” he added.
Court rejects bail request
The Dominican HC then rejected Choksi’s request for release on bail, judging him as a “risk of absconding”.
The HC concluded that Choksi had no connection with Dominica and that the court could not impose any conditions that would prevent him from leaving the country.
Currently, Choksi has obtained an interim measure of immediate repatriation to India by the Dominican court.
The businessman had requested medical bail.
Loads on Choksi
The businessman is wanted in India for ₹Punjab National Bank 13,500 crore bank fraud.
Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi had fled India in the first week of January 2018, weeks before the PNB scam rocked India’s banking sector.
The duo allegedly bribed state bank officials to obtain Letters of Commitment (LoU) on the basis of which they obtained loans from foreign banks that remained unpaid.
Allegedly corrupt banking officials failed to enter these LoUs into PNB’s core banking software, thus escaping scrutiny. The non-payment of these LoUs or bank guarantees of a value ₹13,500 crore resulted in default and became a liability for the bank.
Choksi disappeared from Antigua on May 23 and was captured in Dominica. He was charged with illegal entry into Dominica by police after allegedly fleeing Antigua and Barbuda with the possible aim of avoiding his extradition to India.
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