Choksi cites threat, wants NBW cancelled

Jeweller Mehul Choksi on Friday moved the special CBI court requesting it to cancel the non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against him citing a threat to his life if he returns to India. The jeweller cited a television debate where two callers suggested eliminating him once he is brought back as cause for his apprehension.

Choksi’s lawyer Rahul Agrawal submitted a plea before the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court for cancellation of the warrant it issued.

Apart from threat to his life, the plea mentions issues he raised in his previous plea, which

isstillpendingbeforethecourt. Choksi, who is wanted in the

Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, claimed that “he was shocked” to watch a debate on a national news channel where two people called to share their opinion on the fraud. The callers, the plea claims, suggested “a special team be formed to track Choksi and shoot him to death once he is brought back to India”. Choksi further claimed the anchor or the moderator did not object to such suggestions, which he claimed is a cause of his apprehension.

The special court has now directed the CBI to file its reply by October 3, which is the next date of hearing in the case. In his previous plea, Choksi had cited “trend of mob lynching” as cause of his apprehension.

He claimed that he feared that if he returned to India, he might become a victim of such lynching.

MUMBAI: