Mehul Choksi could be extradited to India: Antigua PM

NEW DELHI: Bank fraud fugitive Mehul Choksi may be extradited to India after he exhausts all legal options available with him, Antigua Prime Minister Gaston Browne was quoted as saying by a media report.

Choksi, 60 and his nephew Nirav Modi, who is currently in a London jail, are wanted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI for allegedly defrauding the Punjab National Bank (PNB) to the tune of ₹13,400 crore.

Prime Minister Browne said the citizenship of the billionaire diamond trader will be revoked by the Caribbean country after he exhausts all his legal options.

"His citizenship was processed; he got through but the reality is his citizenship will be revoked and he will be repatriated to India; so there is recourse. It's not a case that we are trying to provide any safe harbour for criminals, for those who are involved in financial crimes," Prime Minister Browne was quoted as saying by the Antigua Observer on Monday.

"We have to allow for due process. He has a matter before the court and as we said to the Indian Government, criminals have fundamental rights, too, and Choksi has a right to go to court and defend his position. But I can assure you, after he has exhausted all of his legal options, he will be extradited," he said.

The multi-crore PNB fraud came to light in early 2018. Both Choksi and Modi had fled the country before that.

The ED recently told the Bombay High Court that it was ready to provide an air ambulance to bring Choksi to India.

Choksi, currently based in the Caribbean nation of Antigua, told the high court that he left India for medical treatment and not to avoid prosecution in the case. He said he would return to India as soon as he is medically fit to travel.