New Delhi, June 12

The Dominica High Court has denied bail to fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi in the case of illegal entry into the island country after his mysterious disappearance from neighbouring Antigua and Barbuda, where he had been staying as a citizen since 2018, local Caribbean media reported.

India files two impleadment applications

• India has filed two impleadment applications with the Dominica HC that on Friday rejected Mehul Choksi’s bail plea on the grounds that he is a “flight risk”.
• The Centre has sought to be impleaded as a party in the case filed by lawyers of Choksi.
• The CBI’s impleadment application will focus on the PNB case to establish the fugitive status of Choksi and the MEA will focus on his Indian citizenship status, sources say. TNS

The High Court gave the ruling by concluding that Choksi was a “flight risk”, did not have any ties with Dominica and the court could not impose any conditions which would stop him from leaving the country, news outlet AntiguaNewsroom said. Choksi had approached the High Court after the magistrate had rejected his bail petition.

The 62-year-old diamantaire, who has an Interpol Red Notice against him, had mysteriously gone missing on May 23 from Antigua and Barbuda. He was detained in the neighbouring island country of Dominica for illegal entry after a possible romantic escapade with his rumoured girlfriend.

Choksi’s lawyers had filed a habeas corpus petition calling his arrest illegal and alleging that he was abducted, tortured and handed over to Dominica authority to deny him rights available to him in Antigua and Barbuda as a citizen. — PTI