New Delhi: Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi has been declared as a ‘prohibited immigrant’ in Dominica, where he is awaiting trial for illegally entering the country. This development is likely to strengthen India’s case against Choksi and speed up his extradition.
An order by Dominica’s Ministry of National Security and Home Affairs said in accordance with the Immigration and Passport Act of 2017 revised laws of Dominica, Mehul Choksi is “hereby declared a prohibited immigrant”.
“You are, therefore, not permitted to enter the Commonwealth of Dominica and the Chief of Police has been instructed to take all the necessary actions to have you repatriated,” said the order dated May 25.
Meanwhile, former Solicitor General of India Harish Salve will be helping the Indian government bring Choksi back. Earlier, the senior advocate said Choksi may get deported to India within weeks and not months as expected.
According to reports, the government has sought Salve to fight the deportation case in Dominica. However, the government has not made any announcement on engaging Salve in the case yet.
On the other hand, Choksi has hired top lawyers from the UK to fight his case to get deported to Antigua and not to India.
Choksi, wanted in a Rs 13,500-crore bank fraud case in India, had mysteriously gone missing on May 23 from Antigua and Barbuda, where he has been staying as a citizen since 2018.
He was detained in the neighbouring island country of Dominica for illegal entry, after a possible romantic escapade with his rumoured girlfriend.
Choksi’s lawyers alleged that he was abducted from Jolly Harbour in Antigua by policemen looking like Antiguan and Indian, and brought to Dominica on a boat.
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