A Dominican court has reportedly granted bail to fugitive jeweller Mehul Choksi who has been wanted in India in connection with the Rs. 13,50🅠0-crore Punjab National Bank fraud case.
Th😼e 62-year-old diamantaire, who was arrested and jailed in Dominica since May 23 for illegal entry, was granted bail on Monday on medical grounds.
Last week, Choksi had filed a case in the high court of Roseau, seeking to quash the proceedings against him. As per the local media, he alleged that his arr🎀est in Dominica for illegal entry waꦅs "dictated" by representatives of the Indian government.
Choksi, wh❀o went missing from Antigua and Barbuda where he had been living since 2018 after his escape from India, was arrested on May🌃 23 in neighbouring Dominica for illegal entry. He was declared a prohibited immigrant by the Ministry of Immigration in Dominica.
The case was filed against ಌthe immigration minister of the Caribbean nation, its police chief and the investigating 𒈔officer of the case.
The 62-year-old diamantaire wanted in connection with a Rs 13,500-crore scam in the Punjab National Bank has approached the high court in Dominica, alleging that the decision of Linc😼oln Corbe🃏tte, Acting Chief of Police in Roseau, and investigating officer Sergeant Alleyne to charge him for illegal entry was "not a product of their independent judgement".
...they allowed themselves to🉐 be dictated by third parties, representativꦓes of the Indian government...," Choksi alleged.
Seeking to quash the proceedings against him, Choksi pleaded💦 before the high court that the decision to charge him for illegal entry was violative of law and accordingly, null and void, Caribbean media outlet Nature Isle Nꦆews reported.
Choksi said he is a citizeꦆn of Antigua and Barbuda, where he has challenged a move to extradite him.
He claimed that he was kidnapped from Antig𒈔ua and Barbuda and forcibly brought to Dominica by In🐎dian men.
Choksi claimed that he had narrated his ordeal to the Dominican poli꧅ce but they did not launch any investigation into his allegations.
"The arrest and prosecution of the appꦡlicant is an abuse of the process of the court because the police who charged the applicant participated in and/or colluded with the applicant's kidnappers in and/or condoned the forced entry of the applicant into Dominica," he said.
His lawyers on Tues💃day told the magistrate court where his case of illegal entry is going on that they have filed 🐽the plea in the high court.
Choksi has sought a “permanent order staying the criminal charge" brജought against him for illegal entry.
(PTI inputs)
