India cleared Choksi’s citizenship, says Antigua
Antigua’s assertion that India did not give any adverse report to stall granting of citizenship to Mehul Choksi last year evoked sharp reactions from the authorities here with the government today maintaining the police verification report of the bank fraud accused was “clear” at that time.
A CBI official said the agency has sent an extradition request to the government to be forwarded to Antigua to bring him back.
Sources said the ministry of external affairs has received the extradition request from the CBI and is currently in the process of sending it to the authorities in Antigua and Barbuda.
While the Antiguan authority responsible for grant of investment-linked citizenship named the Securities and Exchange Board of India as one of the Indian agencies to have given such a clearance in case of Choksi, the Indian capital markets regulator rejected the claim saying it neither received any such request, nor provided any such information to the department concerned in Antigua.
Choksi’s application for citizenship in Antigua in May 2017 was accompanied with clearance from the local police as required by norms, Antiguan newspaper the Daily Observer reported, citing a statement from the Citizenship by Investment Unit of Antigua and Barbuda.
Choksi is one of the alleged masterminds of the $2 billion scam in state-run Punjab National Bank and uncle of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi.
“The said police clearance certificate from the Government of India, ministry of external affairs regional passport office, Mumbai, certified that there was no adverse information against Mr Mehul Chinubbhai Choksi which would render him ineligible for grant of travel facilities including visa for Antigua and Barbuda,” the report said.
When asked about the PCC to Choksi, a spokesperson of the MEA said it was issued by the passport office of Mumbai for Antigua and Barbuda on March 16, 2017 and that it was given on the basis of a clear police verification report (PVR) available on his passport.