'Mehul Choki still an Antiguan': Lawyer rebuts speculation amid UK's blow to Nirav Modi

While India-born fugitive businessman (diamantaire) Mehul Choksi is reportedly fighting revocation of his citizenship in an Antiguan civil court, his lawyer on Monday denied the development. Advocate Vijay Aggarwal said 'His (Choksi) citizenship has not been revoked yet and he is still an Antiguan citizen.'

A civil court is said to have canceled Choksi's citizenship sometime last year so the latter can be extradited to India for interrogation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). According to the Antigua media, Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Browne has already assured Indian authorities that Choksi will be extradited once he exhausts all options to make an appeal against the revocation of his citizenship. Gaston Browne had spoken to Republic when details of Choksi's whereabouts had surfaced in 2019 and had given a similar assurance.

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However, Choksi's lawyer was quoted by ANI as saying "My client Mehul Choksi has clarified that he is very much an Antiguan citizen and that his citizenship hasn't been revoked.' This comes amid the other main accused in the same PNB scam - Choksi's nephew Nirav Modi - was dealt a major blow by a UK extradition judge.

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Choksi however has repeatedly denied the charges against him and has claimed innocence stating that 'allegations against him are false and politically motivated.' He is wanted by the ED and CBI and an arrest warrant has been issued in connection with his alleged involvement in the PNB scam along with other cases of criminal breach of trust.

Nirav Modi, who has been imprisoned in a London prison since his arrest in March 2019, is charged with similar allegations over conspiring to 'defraud PNB of over a billion dollars.' A United Kingdom court last week ruled in the favour of extradition of fugitive diamantaire Modi. Arrangements also have been made in Mumbai's Arthur Road jail where he will be lodged in a cell with limited detainees, the Maharashtra state government confirmed to the Centre in a letter. 

READ | Nirav Modi Case: UK Court Rejects Cong Neta's Testimony, Says 'didn't Disclose Affiliation'

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