Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi cannot be removed from Antigua and Barbuda, the country's High Court said Friday as it ruled in his favour. Choksi, wanted in India in connection with a Rs 13,000 crore scam in Punjab National Bank, was removed from the Interpol’s Red Notice List last month.
In his plea, Choksi argued that there is an obligation on the part of the defendants, the Attorney General of Antigua and the Chief of Police to carry out a thorough inquiry and that he has an arguable claim that he was subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, ANI reported quoting Dominica-based Nature Isle News.
Demanding an investigation into his claims, Choksi has sought relief which includes a declaration that suggests he is entitled to a prompt and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his forcible removal from Antigua and Barbuda on or about May 23, 2021, the report stated. The court order has prohibited the removal of the claimant, Choksi from Antigua and Barbuda's territory, without a High Court ruling.
Collusion, forced abduction, removal from Antigua and Barbuda, assault, and battery are among the incidents detailed in the Claimant Mehul Choksi's affidavits in support of the claim.
The CBI had said that it remains committed to returning fugitives and criminals to India to face the process of criminal justice.
With his name off the Interpol red notice, Choksi will be free to travel outside Antigua without fearing arrest or questioning. The last time Choksi found himself on the verge of being extradited or deported to India was when he was found in Dominica on May 25, 2021—allegedly battered and bruised after a rough boat ride from Antigua and Barbuda.
The Interpol’s decision was a shot in the arm for Choksi and legal experts had predicted he is likely to use this to counter the claims of the CBI and ED who are demanding his speedy extradition from Antigua.
Soon after Interpol’s decision in March, a spokesperson for Choksi said that the move buttresses his claim that he was kidnapped and was being forcefully taken to India, allegedly violating the international norms and protection given to him as an Antiguan citizen.
Choksi was awarded Antiguan citizenship in November 2017 under the investment scheme of Antigua and Barbuda. He escaped to Antigua in January 2018, soon before news of the scam broke.
