Mehul Choksi produced earlier than Justice of the Peace to reply expenses of unlawful entry into Dominica

Diamantaire Mehul Choksi was produced earlier than a Justice of the Peace in Dominica to reply expenses of his unlawful entry into the Caribbean island nation following a excessive court docket order on Wednesday, native media reported.
He appeared earlier than the Justice of the Peace on a wheel chair in a blue T-shirt and black shorts.
Earlier within the day, Dominica High Court Judge Bernie Stephenson issued the order for his manufacturing earlier than a Justice of the Peace after practically three hours of listening to on a habeas corpus petition filed on behalf of the businessman who had claimed that he was kidnapped from neighbouring Antigua and Barbuda and forcefully delivered to the Caribbean Island nation.
She adjourned the habeas corpus matter until Thursday, Dominica News Online reported.

Rejecting the submission of Choksi who is needed in India in an alleged Rs 13,500 crore mortgage fraud case in Punjab National Bank and has an Interpol Red Notice in opposition to him,, the prosecution stated the habeas corpus petition doesn’t stand as he had illegally entered the nation and was subsequently detained.
His attorneys, nonetheless, alleged that he was kidnapped from Jolly Harbour in Antigua and delivered to Dominica on a ship, about 100 nautical miles away.

“Our stand that Mr Mehul Choksi is in illegal detention as he was required to be produced within 72 hours before the magistrate and was not so produced has been vindicated. In order to remedy this, he has been asked to be produced before the magistrate. This establishes illegal detention of Mr Mehul Choksi as pleaded by the defence,” Choksi’s lawyer Vijay Aggarwal stated.

“The matter being heard is of habeas corpus petition…and not of his repatriation to India. His citizenship is not in question before the court…. Contrary to numerous media reports, there was no discussion regarding Government of India,” Aggarwal stated.
The diamantaire, who mysteriously went lacking on May 23 from Antigua and Barbuda the place he had been staying since 2018 as a citizen, was detained in neighbouring Dominica for unlawful entry after a potential romantic escapade along with his rumoured girlfriend.
Choksi’s spouse Preeti informed reporters that the girl in query was not his girlfriend.
She stated the girl was recognized to him and used to go on walks with him.
She stated Choksi was kidnapped by individuals trying like Indian and Antiguan when he had gone to fulfill the girl.
During Wednesday’s trial, Choksi was current by means of video-conferencing from Dominica China Friendship Hospital whereas his attorneys had been current bodily in court docket.
The decide requested authorities to share court docket paperwork with Choksi who’s admitted on the Hospital.
His attorneys stated that he doesn’t really feel protected in police custody and that he ought to be despatched again to Antigua and Barbuda, native media reported.
He additionally stated he would pay for his safety and raised the difficulty of damage marks discovered on his physique and him being hospitalised.
In case of an opposed order, Choksi has the choice of interesting in greater courts.
Last week, the Government of Dominica had issued a press assertion that it was verifying the standing of Choksi’s citizenship with Antigua and Barbuda.
“Once the information is provided by the Antigua authorities, possible arrangements will be made for Mr. Mehul Choksi to be repatriated to Antigua,” the assertion had stated.
A staff of multi-agency officers led by a CBI DIG has gone to Dominica to carry Choksi to India if court docket there clears his deportation to India, officers stated.
Choksi’s arrest has created turbulence within the calm political waters of the neighbouring Caribbean Island international locations — Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica –the place allegations have been levelled in opposition to opposition events supporting the businessman having an Interpol Red Notice in opposition to him.
Dominican Leader of Opposition Lennox Linton needed to difficulty a denial on the experiences of assembly Chetan Choksi, the brother of Mehul Choksi, or receiving any cash from him.
“I do not know Chetan Choksi. I have never seen him. I have never spoken to him. I have never met with him,” Dominica News Online quoted a video message launched by Linton.
Local media outlet Associate Times had alleged that Choksi arrived on a personal jet on May 29 and met Linton at his residence in Marigot locality the following day for practically two hours the place he gave token cash of USD 2 lakh and promised funding for elections in return for elevating the difficulty in Parliament.
The outlet alleged that Linton was quiet on the Mehul Choksi affair until assembly his brother Chetan. After the assembly, he began assaults on the federal government over the arrest of the fugitive diamantaire.

Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are needed for allegedly siphoning Rs 13,500 crore of public cash from the state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) utilizing letters of endeavor.
While Modi is in a London jail after being repeatedly denied bail and is contesting his extradition to India, Choksi took citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in 2017 utilizing the Citizenship by Investment programme earlier than fleeing India within the first week of January 2018. The rip-off got here to mild subsequently.