NewDelhi: The Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI), through the Ministry of External Affairs, has written a letter to the Antigua government asking it to arrest fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi.
India has been trying to bring back Choksi from Antigua under the provision of a law of the island nation which provides for extradition of a fugitive to a designated Commonwealth country. In its letter to the government of Antigua, CBI stated that a red corner notice is not necessary for the arrest as it is only required to pin-point the location of a fugitive. And because Choksi’s location is known and that he has taken citizenship of Antigua, CBI wants the island nation to arrest him and begin to process for his formal extradition to India.
CBI’s letter chooses to mention the red corner notice specifically because the Antigua government had previously questioned why one had not been issued. Sources in the government also previously hinted that the government there is unwilling to act because it does not have a formal treaty with India which would compel them to send Choksi back.
Earlier this month, India had handed over a request to Antigua for extradition of Mehul Choksi who is charged in connection with India’s biggest banking fraud and is living in the Caribbean nation after taking its citizenship. A team of officials from the MEA and other agencies had been sent to Antigua to request the authorities there to extradite Choksi. The team had presented details of the case against Choksi to the Antiguan government.
Antigua had cleared Choksi’s citizenship in November 2017 after India did not give any adverse report to stall his application for it.
Bureau Report
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