Mehul Choksi's Counsel Rubbishes 'Girlfriend' Claim; Says He Was Abducted To Dominica & Tortured

Agarwal rubbished the claim and said that if Choksi was planning on travelling to Dominica with 'a girlfriend' he would have taken his passport but it was found in his home in Antigua.

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New Delhi: Mehul Choksi's lawyer, Vijay Agarwal revealed during an interview that the diamantaire was abducted to Dominica and there is a conspiracy going on against him. Raising questions on the reports claiming that Choksi was in Dominica for holiday, Vijay Agarwal stated that if he was planning to travel he would have taken his passport along with him. But his passport was in his home in Antigua.

Vijay Agarwal also focused on reports of Mehul Choksi's alleged girlfriend claimed by the Prime Minister of Antigua, Goston Browne Agarwal and said that the woman was an accomplice of the abductors. 

During an interview, Gaston Browne said, "Mehul Choksi made a mistake and the information we are getting is that Choksi travelled with his girlfriend but he was caught in Dominica and now he can be deported back to India."

Agarwal rubbished the claim and said that if Choksi was planning on travelling to Dominica with 'a girlfriend' he would have taken his passport but it was found in his home in Antigua. He believed that different nations abducted Choksi in a joint operation and brought him to Dominica. He claimed that this must have happened after India provided vaccines to various smaller nations. He also alleged that Mehul Choksi was tortured in Dominica, beaten and given electric shocks. He said that Choksi has been admitted to a hospital in Dominica presently after testing negative for Coronavirus.

Mehul's mystery woman 

When asked about the woman, Agarwal said that she had moved into the same building complex, over time Mehul became acquainted with the woman and had a casual neighbourly relation, they sometimes would even go on walks together. Agarwal said in an exclusive interview with ABP News, that once the woman had asked him to come over for a minute to her place when he reached her house, there were already many people waiting, who abducted him to Dominica in a yacht. He added that the abductors tortured him on the way by beating and electrocuting him.  

He further said that when they reached Dominica, the coast guard & Dominica police were waiting for him, he said that on Monday itself Choski was taken to the police station although the news only broke on Wednesday. Agarwal explained that in Dominica, a person is presented in front of the court within 72 hours unlike the rule in India which says that the person has to be presented in front of the court within 24 hours.

A habeas corpus petition was filed in the Dominica court by Choksi's legal team which is awaiting a response from Dominica police after which it will decide whether Choksi will be bailed out or he'll be sent back to Antigua to prison. According to Aggarwal, it is almost ruled out that he will come to India. 

'Mehul Choksi did not escape to Dominica'

Aggarwal said that Mehul Choksi had no use in escaping to Dominica as he was already legally protected in Antigua where he had acquired citizenship and held an Antiguan passport. Aggarwal had earlier also explained that once an Indian citizen acquires citizenship in a different country they cease to become an Indian citizen. But Aggarwal believes that the idea was to take Choksi to Dominica so that he can be shipped to India. He further claimed that these plans foiled as legally Choksi can only be repatriated to Antigua. 

He said that different countries have had vested interested in this hence have joined in to repatriate Choksi to India especially after India gave vaccines to Dominica. When asked whether a passport is really necessary to travel to Dominica ask it is only 180 kms from Antigua, he said it certainly was as to enter another country the passport must be stamped. He claimed that since it is believed that Choksi planned on travelling further ahead from Dominica then he most definitely would require his passport.

Photos of bruised Mehul

Aggarwal had sent images of bruised and battered Mehul to media, which he claims are from Dominica. He said that if a person planned on inflicting injuries to themselves they would never do it on their face. He said that it is 'obvious that he was tortured and some of the injuries are consistent with electrocution, his eyes are swollen and bloodshot one can see that he was tortured'.

Minister of Law and Justice of India Ravi Shankar Prasad weighed in said that Mehul Choksi is a fugitive who defrauded worth thousands of crores, the External Affair Ministry is handling the situation well and that Mehul Choksi must return to India as soon as possible.

Both Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi fled the country almost a year ago and are key accused in the much controversial PNB fraud case. On June 17, Choksi had submitted an affidavit in the Bombay High Court, stating that he is residing in Antigua and was willing to co-operate in the investigation of the PNB scam.

Watch full interview: