ED seeks to invalidate Mehul Choksi’s medical reports at Bombay High Court

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Jun 4, 2019

The Enforcement Directorate criticised the validity of jewellery tycoon Mehul Choksi’s medical records presented in court as a reason not to label him a fugitive economic offender as part of its affidavit presented to the Bombay High Court on Monday. 

The ED described Choksi’s submitted medical reports as “misleading” according to a new report by Asian News International. The Bombay High Court read the ED’s affidavit against Choksi on June 3 as the government agency works to have Choksi labelled as a fugitive economic offender under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. If the court agrees, the ED would be allowed to confiscate Choksi’s property which would be intended to move him to return to India to stand trial for his accused fraud at the Punjab National Bank.

The owner of the jewellery business Gitanjali Gems has stated that he will not return to India from Antigua where he currently resides due to health reasons. However, the ED stated in its affidavit that Choksi’s medical records are not trustworthy.

The ED argued that, as Choksi has only presented copies of his medical records and not originals, the documents cannot be verified. The ED also stated that Choksi’s medical issues are really "facades being erected merely to mislead the court in an obvious attempt to delay the lawful proceedings," in its affidavit accessed by ANI. 

"The documentation submitted by the appellant are merely copies,” read the affidavit. “In the absence of the original, both the genesis and veracity of the contents of the documents cannot be relied upon by the court." The ED also alleged that Choksi had intentionally failed to submit medical records from February 17, 2018.

Another of the ED’s criticism’s of Choksi’s medical records was that his medical certificates dated October 26, 2018, and January 18, 2019, were only by a general practitioner and not a cardiac expert despite Choksi’s claim that he cannot travel due to a heart complaint. "The medical certificates appear to have been specifically obtained to hoodwink the due process of law in India," read the affidavit.