Mehul Choksi arrested from Dominica, Govt. agrees for his repatriation
New Delhi : Fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi, who recently escaped from Antigua and Barbuda, was caught from Dominica. Interpol had issued a ‘Yellow Notice’ against him. This was reported on Wednesday in local media reports.
Choksi was apprehended by police in Dominica on Tuesday night (local time) after Interpol’s ‘Yellow Notice’ was issued by Antigua and Barbuda. According to the Antigua News Room, Choksi had been living here since 2018 after taking citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda.
Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi is in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Dominica, reports Antigua media
(file pic) pic.twitter.com/ofd8UQxKZb
— ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
The Antigua PMO told news agency ANI that we have asked Dominica to take strict action against Mehul Choksi on illegally entering Dominica and extradite him directly to India.
Antigua PM Gaston Brown said that “We will not take him back. He made a big mistake by absconding from here. The Dominican government and the legal authorities there are supporting us. We have informed the Government of India about this so that he can be handed over.” He said that Choksi probably reached Dominica by boat. The government there is cooperating with us and the Government of India. Dominica can send him directly to India.
#WATCH | "…Dominica has agreed (for Mehul Choksi's repatriation). We will not accept him back… Dominican govt & law enforcement are cooperating, and we have informed Indian government to have him repatriated to India," says Antiguan PM Gaston Browne, in an interview with ANI pic.twitter.com/9VEfZfqic5
— ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
Choksi’s lawyer Vijay Agarwal said, “I have spoken to Choksi’s family and they are satisfied that Mehul’s whereabouts have come to know. Efforts are continuing to talk to Mehul to find out the circumstances under which he left Antigua and was caught in Dominica.”
Interpol issues a yellow notice to search for the missing people. It has been reported in the reports that an exercise is underway to hand him over to the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda.
Choksi is wanted in a Rs 13,500-crore debt forgery case from Punjab National Bank and was last seen going to Antigua and Barbuda in his car on Sunday. After getting Choksi’s car, his employees reported him missing. Choksi’s lawyer Vijay Aggarwal had confirmed that Choksi had been missing since Sunday.