Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi cites health problems for leaving India, says 'left for medical check-up and treatment'

Fugitive Diamantaire Mehul Choksi, a key accused in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, on Monday told the Bombay High Court that he left India for medical check-up and not to avoid prosecution in the case.

Mehul Choksi, currently based in the Caribbean nation of Antigua, filed an affidavit Monday through his advocate Vijay Aggarwal, stating he had left the country in January 2018 for getting medical check-up and treatment abroad.

"I have not left the country under suspicious circumstances," the affidavit said.

Mehul Choksi filed the affidavit in connection with two petitions submitted by him in the High Court seeking dismissal of an application filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a special court for declaring him a fugitive economic offender.

In his petition, Mehul Choksi has said he is unable to return to India due to persisting health problems.

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Mehul Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are wanted by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly defrauding the PNB to the tune of Rs. 13,400 crore in collusion with a few employees of the government-run lender. The multi-crore fraud came to light in early 2018.

Back in April, the extradition process of diamond jeweller Mehul Choksi had already begun in Antigua. 

The Antigua officials stated that Indian investigative agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have sent across documents to them in order to peruse and send back Choksi to India.

“The extradition process against Choksi is on and we are hopeful of a positive response from the authorities of Antigua and Barbuda,” they said.Antigua, the Caribbean nation, provides citizenship under its 'citizenship by investment' category, on the basis of which Nirav Modi's uncle Mehul Choksi had applied for its citizenship in March 2017. It was granted to him in January 2018.

Prime Minister Modi during his first term, in his first interview of 2019, had ensured the return of economic offenders like Nirav Modi, Choksi and Vijay Mallya, by emphasising that those who have fled will be brought back to India. 

He said, "Why did they need to flee after all? Had there been governments like earlier, same dostana would have continued, lootna hai, looto, khana hai, khate chalo, they would have no need to flee. They had to flee because they would have to adhere to the laws here. They might had to return every penny. Those who have fled, there are international laws to bring them back. Those are being implemented. For such fugitives, we have made stringent laws. Seizure of property is happening even in foreign countries. Therefore, we are using all the tools available with the government. I am confident, that those who have fled the country earlier, they have not returned. But those who fled during this government, they will be brought back, today or tomorrow."