Fugitive Diamantaire Mehul Choksi Caught In Dominica, Currently In CID Custody

Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are wanted for allegedly siphoning Rs 13,500 crore of public money from the state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) using letters of undertaking.

(File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, who went missing in Antigua and Barbuda where he has been staying since January 2018, was abruptly caught by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Dominica.

The businessman is wanted in a Rs 13,500 crore loan fraud in Punjab National Bank.

Police in Dominica captured Choksi on Tuesday night (local time) after an Interpol Yellow Notice was issued by Antigua and Barbuda. Choksi was caught a day after he went missing on Sunday forcing Police in Antigua to launch search operations for him.

According to local media, efforts are on to hand him over to the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda.

"We have asked the Dominican Government to detain him (fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi) for entering their country illegally, to make him persona non grata and have him deported directly to India," Antiguan PMO told news agency ANI.

Soon after the businessman was reported missing, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said he has "no reliable information till date" that Choksi has fled the country and it was very likely that he was still in Antigua and Barbuda.

Local authorities had informed that they were collaborating with the Indian government, neighbouring countries and international police organisation to try and locate Choksi.

Choksi, an accused in the multi-million-ruppee fraud case along with his nephew Nirav Modi, was last seen going for dinner in his car in Antigua and Barbuda on Sunday.

He obtained his citizenship for Antigua and Barbuda via the citizenship by investment programme.