Mehul Choksi’s arrest and alleged ‘kidnapping’ drama creates political slugfest in Antigua, Dominica

The Mehul Choksi arrest saga has develop into a significant political slugfest within the Caribbean area, with the area’s opposition events and leaders accusing connivance of the Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda governments within the fugitive diamantaire’s alleged abduction.
The arrest of Choksi has develop into a political sizzling potato, particularly in Dominica, the place the Leader of Opposition Lennox Linton has accused the federal government of being concerned within the ‘abduction’ of the fugitive from Antigua and Barbuda. The opposition chief has even suspected the Indian authorities’s function in extraditing Choksi by way of Dominica.
Linton stated the kidnapping of Choksi from Antigua and Barbuda to Dominica, was supposed to facilitate his switch to India with out having to attend on the end result of the continued extradition proceedings scheduled for listening to in November 2021. Linton stated Choksi is legally combating the revocation of his citizenship and the matter is pending earlier than the High Court of Antigua and Barbuda. He stated the ruling occasion of Dominica had undermined the judiciary within the jurisdiction of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court of their pursuit to assist a international energy.
“The presence of Indian-born Mehul Choksi in Dominica following allegations that he was kidnapped in Antigua, beaten, ferried to Dominica and taken into the country against his will, highlights once again the extent to which departments of government are involved in organized crime under the influence and/or direction of the regime of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit,” stated Lennox Linton, in an announcement given to Times of India. 
Linton has sought an investigation into the breach of the legislation by the police, immigration and the customized officers, who he claimed had overtly allowed to facilitate the operators of the St Lucia primarily based schooner; detained Choksi on the allegations of unlawful entry. He additionally requested to probe the function of the ministers of Dominica within the switch of Choksi from Antigua to Dominica.
With the case boiling over, new revelations have emerged within the arrest of Mehul Choksi. It is reported that St Lucia-based yacht through which Choksi was transported to Dominica on May 23 declared three crew members and two Indian passengers to the authorities on departure from Antigua. However, it didn’t embrace Choksi’s identify. Choksi was later arrested in Dominica with no passport. While the 2 Indian passengers have been reportedly taken to quarantine, Choksi was arrested solely to be quarantined 5 days later, on May 28.
Govt denies involvement
While the opposition events within the Caribbean have alleged complicity of the governments of Dominica and Antigua within the arrest of Mehul Choksi, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has rubbished the allegations of his authorities’s involvement within the kidnapping.
” I can say this with cheap certitude that neither we have been concerned nor had information of the alleged abduction. If we have been to be, we might have invited the Indian authorities to ship a aircraft right here. We would have picked him and repatriated him although that will have been in opposition to his constitutional rights,” Browne stated.
Mehul Choksi arrested in Dominica
Earlier yesterday, it was reported that Mehul Choksi was arrested with a assist of a girl, who accompanied him when he landed in Dominica. It was initially alleged that the girl was Choksi’s girlfriend, however reviews hinted that she was working in cahoots with the group that kidnapped him. A report printed in India Today quotes sources near the fugitive businessmen to assert the girl was a part of the group, which was concerned in his “abduction, torture and arrest”.
Dominican authorities had arrested Choksi on Wednesday for getting into the nation “illegally” from Antigua and Barbuda, the place he has been residing since January 2018. The ‘missing’ ex-diamantaire was noticed in Dominica’s capital metropolis of Roseau on the Canefield seaside the place he was disposing of some paperwork at sea. Police received suspicious and approached him. When he was requested about his objective to go to Dominica, he refused to reply.
After Choksi was arrested in Dominica, it was speculated that he will probably be extradited to India. However, the hopes of repatriating PNB Bank rip-off accused Mehul Choksi to India was quickly dashed as Dominica stated that they are going to ship him again to Antigua, not India.
Choksi’s function within the Rs 13,600 crore PNB financial institution fraud
Choksi, alongside together with his nephew Nirav Modi, are accused of perpetrating financial institution fraud value Rs 13,600 crore on Punjab National Bank. The fraud got here to gentle in 2018 and he alongside together with his nephew have been on the run since. While Modi is presently behind bars within the UK, Choksi was in Antigua.
Recently, a UK court docket had dominated that his nephew Nirav Modi will probably be extradited to India from the UK to face expenses of conspiring to defraud PNB. Choksi faces expenses of prison conspiracy, prison breach of belief, dishonest and dishonesty, together with supply of property, corruption and cash laundering.