Mehul Choksi apprehended in Dominica: Key facts about fugitive diamantaire accused in PNB scam

The high-profile case involving Mehul Choksi has hit the headlines in recent days, with the fugitive diamantaire having been captured in Dominica . He was earlier reported to have fled from neighbouring Antigua and Barbuda. Choksi’s lawyers have filed a habeas corpus petition in a court of the Carribean island country after they were allegedly not given access to him, his legal counsel Vijay Aggarwal told PTI. With the legal battle unfolding, much attention is likely to be focussed on Choksi and the allegations against him. In this context, here are some key facts about the case: Who is Mehul Choksi? Choksi was born on 5 May, 1959 in Mumbai. He completed his education from GD Modi College in Gujarat’s Palanpur. His father, Chinubhai, was a diamond trader who operated Gitanjali Gems. Mehul, after completing his education, began working with his father, as per an article in News18. After he took over the family business, he became one of the top exporters of raw diamonds in India and other countries of the world. Is he related to Nirav Modi? Yes, he is Nirav Modi’s maternal uncle. Modi is presently in a London jail and is contesting extradition to India. What is Choksi wanted for? Choksi had started selling poor quality of diamonds as original diamonds, India Today quoted sources as saying. Further, he allegedly transferred and routed illicit money from one company’s account to another company’s account. However, Gitanjali group of companies faced losses in 2016 and 2017. To deal with this, Choksi and co-accused Nirav Modi allegedly planned a conspiracy to siphon off money from state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB). Both are accused of having bribed a PNB employee named Gokulnath Shetty to forge a letter of undertaking after which they siphoned off Rs 13,500 crore of public money from the PNB in 2017. In January 2018, he fled from India for the United States, just a few days before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed an FIR in the matter. What is the present status of the case? Choksi’s case is proving to be a hot potato for the governments of Carribbean island countries, with Antigua and Barbuda asking the neighbouring Dominica to repatriate him to India, and the latter nation considering returning him to Antigua. The fugitive businessman, who was residing in Antigua and Barbuda since 2018 after his escape from India, had gone missing on Sunday under mysterious circumstances. He was later “detained” in Dominica for illegal entry. Choksi’s lawyers have raised questions over the claims of his escape from Antigua and Barbuda, calling it “abduction” by people who looked like Indian and Dominica policemen. Where is Choksi now? Choksi is presently at the Carribean island country of Dominica. Confirming Choksi’s presence on its soil, Dominican Ministry of National Security said that he has been “detained” for illegal entry into the country. “The Ministry of National Security and Home Affairs is in communication with the authorities of Antigua and Barbuda to ascertain some facts, including the status of his Antiguan citizenship,” it said. Choksi, who had recently fled from Antigua and Barbuda, was captured after an Interpol Yellow Notice was issued against him. A Yellow Notice is issued by the Interpol to track missing persons. A more stringent Interpol Red Notice, which seeks arrest of the fugitive, was already issued against Choksi on the request of the CBI. Meanwhile, in India, authorities have got into contact with governments of Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica over Choksi. With inputs from PTI