Antigua hints at extraditing PNB scam accused Mehul Choksi back to India soon

Choksi, currently based in the Caribbean nation of Antigua, told the high court that he would return to India as soon as he is medically fit to travel.

New Delhi: Trouble seems to have mounted for Punjab National Bank Scam accused Mehul Choksi as Antigua government may soon extradite the  diamantaire to India. As per reports, Antiguan prime minister Gaston Browne said that Mehul Choksi country is ready to revoke the passport of Choksi after he exhausts all his legal options after which he can be extradited to India.

This comes a day after Bombay High Court on June 24 sought a sealed report from an expert team of doctors at J J Hospital in Mumbai on the medical condition of fugitive Mehul Choksi and if he was in a position to travel, as accused diamantaire, who is in Antigua had claimed that he is unfit to travel back to India, but wants to cooperate in probe.

Earlier, Enforcement Directorate in an affidavit to Mumbai court stated that Choksi never cooperated in investigation and therefore non-bailable warrant was issued against him. The affidavit also said that a Red Notice was issued by Interpol against him. “He has refused to return, he is therefore, a fugitive and an absconder.”

Govt sources on reports on Mehul Choksi: India waits for Antigua's internal process of revoking citizenship.Only after that extradition process can start separately. India continues to engage with Antigua.MEA yet to hear officially from Antiguan govt about revoking of citizenship pic.twitter.com/WqZVNx5zRW

— ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2019

Choksi, who is the main accused in 13,700 crore Punjab National Bank scam, fled to Antigua and attained its citizenship to save himself from arrest. Denying the charges, Choksi had told Bombay High Court that he didn’t flee India and had travelled abroad for his medical treatment and not to avoid prosecution in the case. Choksi, currently based in the Caribbean nation of Antigua, told the high court that he would return to India as soon as he is medically fit to travel. Choksi claimed he left the country on January 4, 2018, while as per the Punjab National Bank; the alleged fraud came to their knowledge on January 16, 2018. "Hence, the allegations that I left the country to avoid criminal prosecution is without any basis as the PNB itself came to know about the alleged fraudulent issuance of Letters of Undertaking only on January 16, 2018," Choksi said. The kingpin in the case Nirav Modi also fled to United Kingdom and was arrested by the London police after pressure from India.