AHMEDABAD: A
jeweller from Bhavnagar,
Digvijaysinh Jadeja, who is a
co-accused in a complaint against Mehul Choksi — accused in the
PNB scam — for defrauding people by floating a
chit fund scheme, has opposed Choksi’s plea in the Gujarat high court for quashing the FIR.
Choksi has filed a petition to have the FIR registered with the city crime branch quashed with the consent of the complainant, a Bhavnagar-based doctor, Meeta Mankad.
However, Jadeja has been objecting to the quashing of the petition. In an affidavit filed before the high court, he has urged the court to join him as a party respondent in the petition. Jadeja has also accused Choksi of duping him by extending a franchise of Gitanjali Jewellery Retail Ltd. He had requested the court in July 2016 to stop Choksi from fleeing from India.
To justify his opposition to Choksi’s plea, Jadeja has stated, “I have nothing to gain from opposing the process of quashing this FIR. In fact, I may be relieved of a social stigma of being an accused if the FIR is quashed, but still, I have taken a drastic and bold step in the interest of public at large to oppose the quashing petition.” Jadeja has told the court that he has come across many other persons who were allegedly duped because of Choksi’s scheme. Jadeja further stated, “It is made abundantly clear that any Proclaimed Offender who is likely to have committed an offence against society (defrauding the public at large, herein), should not be entitled to any liberty in any form.” The court is likely to hear Choksi’s quashing petition later this week.
