Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi's return to India has been delayed for now as hearing in the Dominica court was deferred on Thursday. The court has asked both prosecution and defence lawyers to discuss the matter among themselves.
The court will set the next date of hearing later, reports said.
"The case is pending in Dominica court. It'll decide whether he is in illegal custody or not. Then it'll be decided whether to send him to Antigua or India," Mehul Choksi's lawyer Vijay Aggarwal said.
Antigua and Barbuda wants Choksi repatriated to India
Antigua and Barbuda is in favour of Choksi to be repatriated from Dominica to India directly, the Cabinet of the Caribbean island country decided in a meeting, local media reported.
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The Cabinet minutes published by the media outlet show that "Choksi matter" was one of the agenda items discussed during the meeting on Wednesday where it was held that Choksi is now a "problem" of Dominica and if he comes back to Antigua and Barbuda the "problem reverts" to it.
The meeting chaired by Prime Minister Gaston Browne and attended by all his ministers physically and virtually decided that law enforcement officials will continue to gather intelligence in the circumstances of Choksi's "departure" from Antigua, media outlet Antigua Breaking News said.
"The preference of the Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda is for Choksi to be repatriated to India from Dominica," the Cabinet minutes said.
ALSO READ: Mehul Choksi should be deported to India, Dominica govt says in court
Choksi had mysteriously gone missing on May 23 from Antigua and Barbuda where he was staying since 2018 as a citizen.
He was detained in neighbouring island country Dominica for illegal entry after a possible romantic escapade with his rumoured girlfriend.
His lawyers alleged that he was kidnapped from Jolly Harbour in Antigua by policemen looking like Antiguan and Indian and brought to Dominica on a boat.
A Dominica High Court is hearing an Habeas Corpus petition filed on behalf of Choksi challenging his illegal detention.
(With inputs from PTI)
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