Extradition of Mehul Choksi to begin soon as CBI gets confirmation, he has not fled to Antigua
New Delhi, Aug 3: Amidst reports that fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi leaving Antigua, the Central Bureau of Investigation has managed to confirm that he is very much in that country.
The CBI got confirmation from the authorities in Antigua that Choksi is in their country. Further CBI sources tell OneIndia that the extradition process would begin soon.
The communication was received by the CBI in response to their queries seeking whereabouts of Choksi after news of his presence in Antigua surfaced.
The CBI in its communication sent to Antiguan authorities last week cited a diffusion notice issued by Interpol against the fugitive businessman and sought details of his movement and his present location, the officials said.
Choksi had taken the citizenship of Antigua in November 2017, and oath of allegiance on January 15 this year, the officials said.
No adverse comments against Mehul Choksi when he was granted Antigua citizenship
The officials said that after getting the confirmation, the agency is likely to move an extradition request through the External Affairs Ministry and may not wait for a Red Corner Notice as the application is still pending with Interpol.
The Citizenship by Investment unit of Antigua and Barbuda had told local newspapers that Choksi's citizenship application was granted after "robust due diligence" and "international investigation" by "reputable agencies", including the International Criminal Police Organisation and the CARICOM Implementing Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS).
The CBI, the nodal agency of India for Interpol, said no information regarding background checks of Choksi was sought from it by the international agency.
"The Interpol has not sought any information related to Choksi from the CBI in the last three-four years," CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal had said.
Under
the
Citizenship
by
Investment
Program
of
Antigua
and
Barbuda,
a
person
can
take
their
passport
on
a
minimum
investment
of
USD
one
lakh
in
NDF
investment
fund.
He
escaped
India
in
the
first
week
of
January
and
took
the
oath
of
allegiance
in
Antigua
on
January
15,
they
said,
adding
that
the
next
day
the
scam
blew
up.
Choksi's actions show that he had planned in advance his escape and subsequent life knowing that the scam would blow up after the retirement of PNB employee Gokulnath Shetty, who was helping him with renewal of letters of undertaking, the officials said.
Choksi allegedly swindled Rs 7,080.86 crore, making it possibly the biggest banking scam in the country, the agency had said.
An LoU is a guarantee given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant short-term credit to the applicant.
Choksi and his companies allegedly availed credit from overseas branches of Indian banks using the fraudulent guarantees of PNB given through LoUs and letters of credit issued by the Brady House branch which were not repaid, bringing the liability on the state-run bank, the officials said.
( With agency inputs)