Choksi a fugitive from justice, wanted man in PNB scam: CBI tells Dominican court
New Delhi, June 12: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday said Mehul Choksi is a fugitive from justice, the chief conspirator of the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, to unauthorisedly raise credit by abusing bank procedures.
In a two-pronged approach to get fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi back to India, Indian probe agencies CBI and MEA have filed separate impleadment applications inDominican court.
In its application, the CBI DIG states that "Mehul Choksi was mastermind behind a series of companies and he and others conspired with officials of a bank to unauthorisedly raise credit by abusing bank procedures."
"CBI made attempts to arrest Mehul Choksi during the course investigation, but his whereabouts were unknown, and he was not available in India," it said.
Man named in Mehul Choksi's 'abduction' denies any link to case
"Mehul Choksi is fully aware of proceedings in India. He has appointed lawyers in India, and one of them recently gave a press interview about the happenings in Dominica supporting the version being advanced by Choksi," it added.
"It is unfortunate that Mehul Choksi has suppressed all this from the Court and has instead suggested that there are no proceedings against him in India," the CBI submitted.
"Mehul Choksi is and remains an international fugitive who continues to evade law enforcement in India. If admitted to bail, Choksi is very likely to continue his evasion of law enforcement and of the Red Notice issued by INTERPOL," the CBI said while opposing Choksi's bail in Dominica court
"The Indian Court has also issued a Non-Bailable Warrant of Arrest on 17 April 2018 against Mehul Choksi, which could not be executed as he had already fled from India, the CBI informed Dominica Court.
Mehul Choksi has been denied bail by the Dominica High Court on the grounds that he is a flight risk.
Choksi, who is wanted in a Rs 13,500-crore loan fraud in the Punjab National Bank, was last seen going for dinner in his car in Antigua and Barbuda on Sunday.
His staff had reported him missing after his car was found. On Thursday (Indian time), the Dominica government confirmed his presence on its soil, saying he has been "detained" for illegal entry.