The Interpol has issued a Red Notice against diamond merchant Mehul Choksi, accused in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank Letters of Undertaking fraud, who has taken refuge in Antigua.
“The Red Notice was issued on Wednesday based on the Central Bureau of Investigation’s request. Although his location is now known, the notice also seeks his detention by enforcement agencies in the Interpol member countries,” said an official.
As Antigua is a member country, Indian agencies may soon request their counterparts there to execute the notice.
After investigation, the CBI had filed the first charge sheet against Mr. Choksi and 17 other accused persons on May 16, for allegedly cheating the bank of about ₹7,080 crore.
It was alleged that Mr. Choksi, the main beneficiary of the defrauded funds, had escaped from the country before registration of the case. A Look-out Circular was issued against him. After filing the charge sheet, a non-bailable arrest warrant was also issued against him.
The CBI has also got Red Notices issued against Nirav Modi, his brother Neeshal and associate Subhash Shankar Parab, in another case of alleged cheating involving ₹6,498.20 crore. In this case, a charge sheet was filed on May 14.
In August, India had approached the Antiguan government seeking Mr. Choksi’s extradition. Documents showing his alleged role in the case have also been shared through the Ministry of External Affairs.
Mr. Choksi then moved the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in Antigua requesting an end to the extradition process. He had flown out of India the country in the first week of January 2018, along with Mr. Nirav Modi and others, days before the bank lodged complaints with the CBI.
It later turned out that Mr. Choksi had applied for citizenship in Antigua in May 2017 and was soon granted the same.