The CBI has asked the Commission for Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF) for restoration of Red Notice against fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi wanted in bank fraud cases to the tune of over £6 1.39 billion. The agency said in a statement that the CBI had investigated the "severe deficiencies, procedural violations, over-reach of mandate, and mistakes perpetrated by CCF" in the process of making this hasty and unjustified decision.
The agency claimed that the Red Notice was neither a necessary nor a prerequisite for extradition proceedings, and it continued to use all available corrective and appeals procedures within Interpol to correct this erroneous judgement.
“The Global Operations Centre of CBI continues to closely monitor movements of wanted criminals like Mehul Chinubhai Choksi in direct coordination with foreign law enforcement agencies and is not reliant only on Interpol channels,” a CBI spokesperson said.
According to sources, the Indian law enforcement claimed that Choksi had falsely claimed that he had no open criminal proceedings against him while illegally obtaining the Antiguan citizenship in November 2017. In its communication with the Antiguan authorities, the CBI is learnt to have detailed FIRs registered in Delhi, Bangalore and Rajasthan against Choksi, calling him a serial offender. The cases pertain to Choksi selling fake diamonds, they added.
According to additional sources, he got Antiguan citizenship without giving up his Indian citizenship and left India with Nirav Modi on January 4, 2018.