New Delhi: It looks like India’s effort to bring back fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi back to the country will have to wait for some time. The private jet that had been sent by India to Dominica with documents left the island at around 8.10pm (local time) Thursday. Eight Indian security officials had flown to Dominica in that jet with documents related to Mehul Choksi’s deportation. Among them were representatives of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI). Choksi, wanted in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, will continue to be at the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital under police guard.
The Indian team, which went there along with the documents, has also returned people in the know of things informed Friday. However, the destination of the jet and its occupants were not disclosed.
Indian-born Choksi disappeared from Antigua and Barbuda, whose citizenship he holds, May 23. He was detained by Dominican police three days later on charges of illegally entering the island, nearly 100 nautical miles away.
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Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne said last week that the Bombardier Global 5000 business jet of Qatar Executive landed at Dominica’s Douglas Charles airport May 29. He also said that Choksi may have taken a boat ride to Dominica to have a ‘good time with his girlfriend’. Choksi’s lawyers have contradicted the claims made by Browne. They have said that Choksi was abducted and taken to Dominica.
A court in Dominica denied bail to the 62-year-old businessman Thursday. It remanded Choksi to police custody for roughly two weeks on charges of illegally entering the island nation. And, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court adjourned hearing in a habeas corpus petition filed by Choksi’s lawyers and the government of Antigua. It should be stated here that before he went missing, the 62-year-old Choksi was living as a citizen of Antigua and Barbuda. Browne has time and again reiterated that he would prefer Choksi being deported to India.
India said it was making all efforts to bring back Choksi. “He (Choksi) is currently in the custody of Dominica with some legal proceedings underway. We will continue to make all efforts to ensure he is brought to back India,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi “Let me emphasise that India remains steadfast in its efforts to ensure that fugitives are brought back to India to face justice,” Bagchi added.