India hands over Choksi extradition request to Antigua
Antiguan authorities had cleared his citizenship in Nov. ’ 17
New Delhi: India has handed over a request to Antigua for extradition of Punjab National Bank ( PNB) scam- accused Mehul Choksi who had obtained citizenship of the Caribbean nation. Indian Government sources had recently said New Delhi was sending an extradition request on Choksi to Antigua. A team from India was sent to Antigua few days back to pursue the authorities.
India has handed over a request to Antigua for extradition of Punjab National Bank ( PNB) scam- accused Mehul Choksi who had obtained citizenship of the Caribbean nation. Indian government sources had recently said New Delhi was sending an extradition request on Choksi to Antigua.
News agency reports on Sunday cited sources saying that a team from India was sent to Antigua few days back to pursue the authorities there to extradite Choksi. “The team met the Foreign Ministry officials of the island nation on Saturday and handed over the request to extradite Choksi to India,” sources were quoted as saying.
The tiny Caribbean nation had on Friday claimed it was told by Indian agencies that there was no adverse information against PNB scam accused Choksi when it did a background check on the fugitive billionaire before granting him citizenship in 2017, according to a local media report there.
But India had swiftly set the record straight late on Friday evening, saying that the Police Clearance Certificate was issued to Choksi by the Mumbai passport office, for Antigua and Barbuda on March 16, 2017 since at that time there was a “clear Police Verification Report available on his passport.”
What New Delhi had essentially said was that there was nothing incriminating against Choksi at that particular time since the scam surfaced later. The opposition parties have also been targeting the government over the matter.
It may be recalled that the Indian government has also asked the United Kingdom for extradition of another PNB scamaccused jeweller Nirav Modi. The Indian government had informed Parliament last week that two Red Corner Notices have been issued against Modi by the Interpol.
CBI sources had earlier said the agency has cited three grounds on the basis of which Choksi and Modi can be extradited to India to face trial.
They said the agency has underlined the principle of reciprocity where fugitives can be exchanged between two countries as and when required, principle of dual criminality which states that the alleged charge on the fugitive should be an offence in both countries, and the United Nations Convention against Corruption to which both Antigua and India are signatories.
◗ An Indian team met the foreign ministry officials of the Caribbean country on Saturday and handed over the request to extradite Choksi to India.