Punjab National Bank: Dominican court blocks deportation of fugitive Indian jeweler Choksi
May 28 (Reuters) – A Dominican court has barred local authorities from removing fugitive jeweler Mehul Choksi from the country, throwing another obstacle to India’s attempts to bring him home and try him in the country’s biggest case. bank fraud in India.
Choksi, who was born in India, was captured in Dominica earlier this week after missing from the Caribbean nation of Antigua on Sunday, sparking a global manhunt.
He was living in Antigua, where he had obtained a passport, having fled India before the fraud was discovered. He is one of the main defendants in the case.
After Choksi’s detention, Antigua refused to take him back and Prime Minister Gaston Browne told Reuters partner ANI that the country was in talks with the Dominican and Indian governments for his repatriation to India.
The court order blocking his repatriation came after Choksi filed a habeas corpus petition, which determines whether a detention is legal, against Dominican authorities, Vijay Aggarwal, his lawyer in India, told Reuters.
The court allowed Choksi for legal assistance, Aggarwal said, adding that the case will be heard on Friday.
Indian Federal Police have filed fraud charges against Choksi, his nephew, Nirav Modi and others in connection with their alleged involvement in fraudulent transactions which resulted in losses of approximately $ 2 billion for the Punjab National Bank (GNP) of India.
PNB alleged in 2018 that a few rogue employees issued fake multi-year bank guarantees to help jewelry groups controlled by Modi and Choksi raise funds in the form of foreign credit.
Modi and Choksi have denied any wrongdoing. Modi was arrested in London in 2019 and is fighting extradition to India. The Indian government has pushed for the extradition of Choksi from Antigua and Barbuda.
(Reporting by Abhirup Roy; Editing by Kim Coghill)
