Dominica court gives bail to fugitive Mehul Choksi on medical grounds

FUGITIVE Indian businessman Mehul Choksi was on Monday (12) granted bail by a court in the Caribbean island-nation of Dominica on medical grounds. He was arrested and jailed there since May 23 for illegal entry. Choksi, 62, can now travel to neighbouring Antigua and Barbuda, of which he is a citizen and from where he had gone missing. He has been living there since 2018 following his exit from India.

Choksi, a diamantaire, is sought by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate in connection with Rs 14,000 crore ($1.9 billion) Punjab National Bank loan fraud and money-laundering case.

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The high court in Dominica approved a consent order by Choksi’s defence team and the state’s lawyer to allow him to travel to Antigua to seek medical attention from a specialised neurologist there, his counsel informed.

“Dominica courts have finally upheld the rule of law and rights of a human to be treated in the medical facilities of his choice,” Choksi’s lawyer Vijay Aggarwal said, according to ANI news agency.

Alleging that his arrest was “dictated” by representatives of the Indian government, the businessman had filed a case in the high court in Roseau, the capital of Dominica, to quash the proceedings brought against him, the local media of Dominica said last week.

The case was filed against Dominica’s immigration minister, its police chief and the case’s investigating officer.

The fugitive businessman pleaded that the decision to charge him for illegal entry flouted the law and hence was null and void.

“...they allowed themselves to be dictated by third parties, representatives of the Indian government...,” Choksi had alleged.

The latest was Choksi’s second bail petition in the high court as his earlier bail application was rejected since he had no ties with Dominica and the court was not able to impose any conditions to ensure that the India-born businessman would not abscond.