Mehul Choksi 'honeytrapped'; woman lured him to apartment where he was abducted: Sources

In yet another intriguing development in Mehul Choksi's sudden disappearance from Antigua, sources have confirmed that the fugitive ex-diamantaire was with a woman when he landed in Dominica, where he was nabbed days after he went missing. Sources have reported that a woman was part of the team that 'abducted' Mehul Choksi, implying that she may have been part of an effort to honeytrap Choksi in a well-planned ploy to allegedly kidnap and torture the PNB Bank scam accused. 

As per sources, the woman with whom Mehul Choksi had apparently gone to Dominica on a 'romantic trip' was staying in Antigua and had started meeting Choksi on evening walks during which she befriended him. Later on May 23, the woman had allegedly called Choksi to meet him at an apartment. Sources say that when Mehul Choksi reached the apartment, there were many people present who allegedly abducted, kidnapped and took him to Dominica where he was later arrested. 

Mehul Choksi tortured in Dominica?

On Monday, Republic TV accessed exclusive visuals of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi from Dominica which indicate that he has suffered some injuries. Earlier, his lawyer Vijay Aggarwal claimed that his client had "torture marks" on his body and was abducted by various persons from Antigua who brought him to Dominica on May 23. The pictures from the Dominica China Friendship Hospital, where is presently admitted, show bruises on his hand and face. It is pertinent to note that the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court has temporarily stayed the repatriation of the diamond merchant, allowed him to meet his legal counsel and adjourned the matter to 9 am on June 2. The Dominican government officially confirmed that he was detained in the country after an Interpol Yellow Notice was issued. 

Mehul Choksi is under the scanner of both the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate. Along with his nephew Nirav Modi, he has been accused of allegedly siphoning off Rs 13,500 crore of public money from the Punjab National Bank (PNB), using letters of undertaking. Owner of the Gitanjali group, a retail jewellery company, Choksi secured the citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in November 2017 under the aegis of the Citizenship by Investment Programme and fled to the island nation in the first week of January 2018.

Antigua PM vows to revoke Mehul Choksi's citizenship

Antigua PM Gaston Browne on Sunday said that his government is determined to revoke Choksi’s citizenship and to concurrently pursue his extradition to India to face criminal charges, according to reports in Antigua Newsroom. Antigua Prime Minister Browne alleged that Indian fugitive Mehul Choksi was funding the main opposition United Progressive Party and that is why the Opposition released a statement in support of Choksi. The charge has however been denied by the United Progressive Party chief Harold Lovell. The Antigua PM had mentioned that there has been no violation of Choksi’s legal and constitutional protections, despite the decision to revoke his citizenship. Browne, added, "We live in a globalized world where cooperation among states is required to fight and defeat criminals."