Fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi has reached Antigua and Barbuda after getting bail in Dominica. He was detained there for 51 days on charges of illegal entry into Dominica. After absconding from India, Choksi has been living in Antigua and Barbuda since 2018, he has also taken citizenship there.
On reaching Antigua, Mehul Choksi told news agency ANI that 'I am back home, but this torture has left permanent marks on my soul, psychologically and physically. I could not have imagined that there would be an attempt to kidnap me after Indian agencies shut down all my business and confiscated all my assets.
Choksi said that 'many times, I have asked agencies to come here (Antigua) to question me as I was not able to travel due to health problems. I am always available to cooperate with the investigating agencies but I never expected this inhuman kidnapping.
Choksi further said that 'I am considering returning to India to prove my innocence. My health has been bad for the last few days and it has gotten worse in the last 50 days after my abduction. I am apprehensive about my security in India. I don't know if I will be able to get back to a normal physical or mental condition.
Choksi is accused of illegally entering Dominica, while his lawyers have claimed that it was a conspiracy to kidnap him. The Dominica High Court has granted bail to Choksi (62) to undergo treatment. The court allowed Choksi to travel to Antigua after paying 10,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars (about Rs.
Choksi has reached Antigua for treatment
Choksi had also presented his medical report, which included a 'CT scan', in the court seeking bail. In the report, there was talk of worsening of his 'hematoma' (disease related to the brain). Doctors had advised an immediate review of Choksi's medical condition by a 'neurologist' and a 'neurosurgical' consultant. The 'CT Scan' report, dated June 29, was signed by Yerandi Galle Gutierrez and René Gilbert Vranes, physicians at Princess Margaret Hospital in Dominica. "These treatment facilities are not currently available in Dominica," the report said.
Rs 13,500 crore scam from PNB Bank
It is worth noting that Mehul Choksi, who wanted in the Rs 13,500 crore scam involving Punjab National Bank (PNB), went missing from Antigua and Barbuda on May 23 under suspicious circumstances. He was later detained for illegally entering the neighboring country of Dominica. Choksi's lawyers have alleged that he was abducted by some policemen from Antigua's Jolie Harbor on May 23. These policemen appeared to be citizens of Antigua and India, who took him on a ferry to Dominica.