India engaged for early deportation of Mehul Choksi: MEA

New Delhi, June 18: The Indian government is actively engaged with Dominica to seek early deportation of fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi and his handover to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

 

The MEA said that the criminal charges faced by fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi and the facts relating to his continued Indian citizenship have been brought to the attention of the Dominica authorities and noted that efforts are being made for his early deportation to face justice in the country.

 

"Legal proceedings are underway. The Government of India is actively engaged with the Dominican government to seek the early deportation of Mehul Choksi to face justice in our country," MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at the weekly media briefing while answering a query concerning Choksi's deportation.

 

 

"The criminal charges that Mehul Choksi faces in India and the facts relating to his continued Indian citizenship have been suitably brought to the attention of the authorities in the commonwealth of Dominica," the MEA spokesperson said.

 

Choksi went missing from Antigua on May 23 and was caught in Dominica. He was charged with illegal entry into Dominica by police after he allegedly fled Antigua and Barbuda in a possible attempt to avoid extradition to India.

 

 

Indian authorities had told the Dominica High court in their affidavit that Choksi is an Indian citizen and noted that he is erroneously claiming renunciation of citizenship under the Citizenship Act, 1955. The 62-year-old fugitive is wanted in India in connection with the Rs 13,500 crore fraud in Punjab National Bank.