Mehul Choksi to appear in PMLA court if fit to travel, says lawyer

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Nov 20, 2018

The wanted jewellery tycoon Mehul Choksi’s lawyer has told a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court that Choksi will appear in court in India if he becomes fit enough to travel.

Choksi’s lawyer, Sanjay Abbot, had previously stated that Choksi was refusing to return to India to stand trial for fraud at the Punjab National Bank (PNB) as instructed due to fears of a mob lynching. Now, Abbot is maintaining that Choksi is currently unfit to travel but has assured that he will return to India if his health improves within the coming three months.

Abbot also told the PMLA court that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) could travel to Antigua where Choksi is currently residing to take his statement or they could do so via video conference. Choksi has previously cited poor health amongst the reasons that he has not returned to India.

Abbot’s statement was made as part of a PMLA court hearing. Judge M S Azmi was hearing the ED’s continued plea to have Choksi officially labelled as a “Fugitive Economic Offender” under the new Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018. Although the ED is making numerous attempts to have Choksi labelled as a Fugitive Economic Offender, the lack of such a title does not prevent him from possible extradition to India. Authorities of Antigua and Barbuda, where Choksi has taken citizenship, have expressed that they intend to cooperate with Indian authorities on the matter.