Congress’ Randeep Surjewala asked “why did the MEA provide ‘clean chit certificate’ to Mehul Choksi…..despite the complaints” against him filed two years ago. (File Photo)
With media reports emerging from Antigua suggesting that Indian agencies had given no adverse information against Mehul Choksi when the Carribbean nation did a background check on him before granting him citizenship in 2017, the Congress Friday said the “shocking details” have “exposed the complicity and connivance” of the BJP government in his escape.
The Congress claimed that a complaint regarding “serious fraud” being committed by Geetanjali group promoted by Choksi had reached the Prime Minister’s office as early as in May 2015. The party had in February released a purported complaint filed by one Vaibhav Khuraniya in May 2015 against Geetanjali Gems Ltd and various other subsidiary companies of the group to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
It had then claimed that the copies of the complaint had been sent to the PMO, Enforcement Directorate and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office. The Congress had also claimed that a similar complaint was filed to Mumbai police as well while another person identified as Digvijaysinh Jadeja had filed an FIR with the Economic Offences Wing of the Gujarat police in Ahmedabad against Choksi and other for defrauding him.
The Congress had also claimed the matter had reached the Gujarat high court where Jadeja had filed an affidavit in July 2016 “specifically pointing out that Choksi and others owed a debt of Rs 9872 core to banks and are likely to escape from India.” The Congress had then released the affidavit and claimed the Gujarat Government was party in the case.
The party’s communication department head Randeep Surjewala asked “why did the MEA provide ‘clean chit certificate’ to Mehul Choksi…..despite the complaints” against him filed two years ago. He said Choksi left India on January 4, 2018 and was already a citizen of Antigua & Barbuda in November 2017 as per the Citizenship by Investment Unit of Antigua.
“Why did the CBI/ED not move the Interpol for a warrant against Mehul Choksi or provide the requisite evidence of criminal fraud against him? Is it not correct that this deliberate failure on part of CBI/ED in providing evidence to Interpol led Interpol giving a clean chit to Choksi? Why did the PMO not act despite the complaint dated May 7, 2015 and May 26, 2015 nor direct the External Affairs Ministry/CBI/ED/SEBI/SFIO to take action? Does it not put a question mark on the role of the PMO?” he asked.
He also asked “why Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not raise the issue of citizenship being granted to Mehul Choksi when he met Antigua Prime Minister Gaston Browne in April, 2018.”