Will make efforts to get economic fugitives to face justice in India: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said it would continue to make all efforts to get economic fugitives, including Mehul Choksi, to face justice in India.

The name of Choksi, who is wanted in India in connection with the Rs 13,000 crore bank fraud in the Punjab National Bank, was dropped from the Red Corner Notice list, a move that grants him freedom to freely travel out of Antigua and Barbuda, where he is holed up after fleeing from India in 2018.

"On the issue of Mehul Choksi...let me just take the larger point. Our focus is on getting economic fugitives to face justice in India and we will continue to make all efforts in this regard," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi told reporters here.

In a statement on Tuesday, the CBI said it has taken up with the Commission for Control of Interpol's Files (CCF) the serious shortcomings, procedural violations, overreach of mandate and mistakes committed by CCF in the manner of reaching this unfounded and perfunctory decision.

On the issue of the presence of radical Islamic preacher Zakir Naik in Oman, Bagchi said the ministry did not have any confirmation of his presence in Muscat.

"Zakir Naik is an accused in numerous cases in India. He is a fugitive from justice. We have taken up the matter with the government of Oman and Oman authorities. We will continue to take all necessary measures to bring him to face justice in India," he said.