One of India’s most wanted fugitive caught in Dominica

Fugitive jeweler Mehul Choksi, one of India’s most wanted in connection with the Punjab National Bank loan fraud case, has been captured in Dominica while trying to flee to Cuba.

Sources said Choksi had reached Dominica by boat. And with a Yellow Notice issued after his mysterious disappearance from his residence in Antigua, he was caught by the local police.

Choksi is currently in custody of the Criminal Investigation ..

“As Mehul Choksi is not in Antigua and he is not a citizen of Dominica, he can be directly deported to India based on the Red Corner Notice issued against him by Interpol. He is a wanted accused for India and deportation can be one of the options,” said a government source to India Today.

Meanwhile, Chokshi’s lawyer Vijay Aggarwal also said that the businessman did not reach Dominica “voluntarily.”

“There should be no speculations till one finds out from Mehul Choksi that how he landed up in Dominica my understanding is that his reaching Dominica is not voluntary. So I find something fishy that nobody seems to be at the moment looking into the fact that how exactly he reached Dominica,” he said in a statement.

Aggarwal also added that Choksi can be deported only to Antigua only and not India.

“As per Indian citizenship act section 9, the moment Mehul Choksi acquired the citizenship of Antigua he ceased to be a citizen of India. Hence legally as per the immigration and passport Act section 17 and 23, he can be deported only to Antigua. Moreover, as there is Antiguan High Court order restraining processing any request from India so my understanding is that he has to be sent back to Antigua only and there is no question of his being sent to India.”

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has requested the Dominican Government to hand over Choksi to India, but if Dominica, due to legal issues refuses to deport him to India, Choksi will be deported back to Antigua.