Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi
The Enforcement Directorate is determined to take a stringent step against the fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, who is away from the court proceedings seeking medical reasons.
The ED has now proposed to provide an air ambulance for Mehul Choksi with medical experts and bring him back to the country so that he can take part in the investigation into Rs 13,000 crore PNB scam.
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"The medical reasons and conditions appear to be facades being merely to mislead the court in an obvious attempt to delay the lawful processing. We are ready to provide an expert medical team along with an AIR ambulance to bring him from Antigua to India under medical supervision," the ED stated in its counter affidavit.
After fleeing from India, Choksi had granted citizenship of Antigua last year. Since then he is residing there, not turning up for the investigation and any court proceedings.
According to the ED, Choksi had never co-operated within the investigation. His claims that his assets worth Rs 6129 crore have been seized is also wrong as ED has attached assets worth Rs 2100 crore during the probe.
It has also claimed that Choksi had tried to sell all his assets before fleeing from India.
"He (Mehul Choksi) never cooperated in the investigation. A non-bailable warrant was issued against him. A Red Notice was issued by the Interpol. He has refused to return, he is, therefore, a fugitive and an absconder," the ED told ANI.
This statement of the central agency has come after Choksi submitted an affidavit in the Mumbai High Court on June 17 stating that he is currently in Antigua and is willing to co-operate in the investigation into the PNB scam.
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"I am ready to undergo any medical examination by an authority to prove the veracity of the claims made by me," he added.
Choski with his nephew Nirav Modi fled a year ago after being accused in two billion USD worth PNB fraud case. Choksi was granted Antiguan and Barbudan citizenship on January 15, last year.
On March 22, he had moved an application before the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, stating his long history of heart ailment and a blood clot in the brain as the reason for not being able to appear before it.
