As reports of fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi's presence do the rounds, India has requested authorities in Antigua and Barbuda that he not be allowed to travel by air, land or sea. A government source said, “As soon as the Ministry of External Affairs received information of the likely presence of Mehul Choksi in Antigua, the High Commission in Georgetown alerted the Antigua and Barbuda government, in writing and verbally, to confirm his presence in their territory and detain him and prevent his movement by land, air or sea.”
Choksi had fled India in the first week of January and taken an oath of allegiance as a citizen of Antigua on January 15. On January 29, the CBI filed a case and started investigating Choksi and his nephew and celebrity jeweller Nirav Modi over a £1.35 billion fraud. India has already cancelled both of their passports, and Choksi has refused to return to India claiming fears of “mob lynching”.
Choksi had claimed last week that he had taken Antiguan citizenship to expand his business as the passport of the Caribbean nation provides visa-free travel to 132 countries. The citizenship came at a cost of £130,000, not such a big amount for some accused of fraud running into millions. Antiguan authorities, however ,said that Choksi's request for citizenship would have been rejected if they had known about the charges against him in the PNB scam.
In a statement issued by Choksi's lawyer, he said that reports doing the rounds in Indian media about him applying for citizenship of that country “illegally” and about him being extradited are wrong. “In January 2018, I had a need to visit the United States to receive medical treatment. I am still in a state convalescence. That being said I have decided to reside in Antigua and Barbuda, the country of my citizenship and abide by the laws of the country,” he said.
The Antigua government has, meanwhile, indicated that it may consider a “legitimate request” from India, and deport Choksi, wanted by Indian authorities for supposedly colluding with billionaire Nirav Modi to defraud Punjab National Bank.
