Ever since fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi was found in Dominica on May 25, 2021, allegedly battered and bruised after a rough boat ride from Antigua and Barbuda, New Delhi has been trying to navigate choppy waters to extradite him. The latest challenge is the decision of the Dominican government on Thursday to discontinue criminal proceedings against him in what was alleged to be his illegal entry into the country.
"[Mr Choksi] is pleased that the Dominican government has today dropped all charges against him for unlawful entry in May 2021. By doing so, they now recognise that there was never any case against him," said a spokesperson for Choksi. In the statement, Choksi claimed he was ''forcibly removed from Antigua against his will by Indian agents, viciously assaulted, and taken to Dominica by boat, where he was again unlawfully handed over to authorities for an offence he never committed".
Choksi's legal team has been very active since, trying to pursue all avenues of justice to redress the alleged human rights violations committed against him. ''Choksi hopes that those responsible for his kidnapping from Antigua on May 23, 2021, will be brought to justice,'' said the statement.
India does not have an extradition pact with Antigua and Barbuda, and the fresh turn of events may add to the delay in his return to the country to face the law. New Delhi has been calling for strong international cooperation to bring back fugitive economic offenders. But, Choksi has been claiming the protection of his Antiguan citizenship. He claimed he had applied for the citizenship of Antigua much before the CBI registered a case against him on January 31, 2018 in the multi crore PNB scam in which his nephew Nirav Modi is also an accused.
Investigators had claimed Choksi fled Antigua on May 23, 2021, to preempt extradition. But, the dramatic developments that led to Choksi spending some time in a closed cell in police custody in Dominica soon after, led to accusations and counter-accusations, with Choksi claiming he was allegedly kidnapped and brought there. The matter has been a subject of intense speculation, with Indian authorities rubbishing his claims and saying that due process is being followed to bring him back to India. The Indian team, which had landed in the tiny island on May 28 to take him back, left Dominica on June 3, 2021, with an assurance given by its Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit to the CBI team that Choksi will face the law of the land. Now, with Dominican authorities taking a lenient view of Choksi and dropping charges against him, all eyes are once again on Choksi’s claims and how soon investigators will be able to bring him back to the country.
