New Delhi: Efforts have been scaled up to bring back fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi. Multiple agencies are in touch with the government of Dominica on the issue which has been told that Choksi is originally an Indian citizen and had taken on new citizenship to escape the law in India after having committed a fraud of almost two billion US dollars.
It is reliably gathered that India through back-channel and the diplomatic route has clearly told Dominica that Mehul Choksi should be treated as a fugitive Indian citizen who has an Interpol Red Corner notice against him and he should be handed over to Indian authorities for deportation and to face the law in India for his alleged deeds which have robbed the Indian public of billions of dollars. There is no case for Choksi to deny his Indian citizenship as any other citizenship is a front to hide his alleged crimes.
In fact, neighbouring Antigua has also urged Dominica to hand over Choksi to India directly. However, Dominica remains non-committal and two days back issued a statement saying that Choksi will be handed over to Antigua.
Choksi enjoys full legal protection in Antigua and it will be time-consuming to extradite Choksi to India from there. Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Browne has told a news agency that Choksi will not be allowed to enter back in Antigua for where Choksi fled and illegally sneaked into Dominica and was caught.
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Domestic politics of Antigua and the commonwealth of Dominica has also come into play, according to local media reports. The opposition parties in Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica are making full attempts to grab political mileage by supporting the Indian fugitive in return for campaign financing.