Mehul Choksi extradition case: Eight-member India team arrives in Dominica

Even as a private jet landed in Dominica with papers related to Choksi, wanted in the PNB fraud case, members of the CBI, ED and external affairs ministry are said to be camping in the island nation

Even as a private jet from Qatar landed in Dominica with documents related to fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, wanted in the PNB loan fraud case, sources on Tuesday said members of the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and Ministry of External Affairs are camping in the island nation.

According to informed sources, an eight member team from India reached Dominica on Saturday afternoon in a private jet that left from New Delhi on Friday evening.

The sources said that two members each from MEA, CBI and ED along with two CRPF commandos were in Dominica for the hearing in the Choksi extradition matter scheduled on June 2.

The source said that the officials of the CBI and ED from Mumbai zone were called on Friday to the national capital, who then boarded the private jet for Dominica.

However, senior officials of the CBI and ED remained tight-lipped on the number of officials sent to Dominca for Choksi case hearing.

On Saturday, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne also confirmed that a private jet has landed in Dominica with certain documents related to Choksi who was involved in a multi-million dollar bank scam in India.

Browne was responding to a question during his radio programme on a question about a private jet arriving in Dominica from Qatar and said, "Yes I can confirm that a jet is there. My understanding is that the Indian government has sent some documentation from the courts to confirm that Choksi is a fugitive.

"My understanding is that it is for the court hearing scheduled on Wednesday (June 2) as the Dominica court has put a stay on his deportation. So the Indian government seems to be going all out to ensure that he is repatriated to India and face charges there."

Choksi, who is wanted in India by the CBI and the ED in Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case had gone missing from the island nation on May 23, sparking a massive manhunt.

He was captured in Dominica on May 26.

A Dominican court has restrained his deportation till June 2 as it hears a habeas corpus filed by Choksi's lawyers.

On Saturday, several pictures of Choksi emerged online showing several bruise marks on his arms and swollen eyes.

Choksi has been residing in Antigua and Barbuda since January 4, 2018, days before the CBI registered a case of bank fraud against him and his nephew, Nirav Modi, among several others. The CBI and ED, which have filed separate charge sheets in the case, are trying for his extradition.

--IANS

aks/in