Choksi cites ‘med conditions’ for inability to return to India

Gitanjali Gems promoter Mehul Choksi on Wednesday moved an application before a special court, seeking cancellation of the non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against him. This is the first time that Choksi, the prime accused in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, has informed the court of his ‘medical conditions’ because of which, he is unable to return to India.

Choksi filed the application through his advocate Sanjay Abbot before the special CBI court presided by Special Judge JC Jagdale. His plea states, “I cannot travel (to India) because of my medical conditions. Moreover, I am having a threat to life from various persons and for that reason alone I am unable to disclose my current location in public.”

According to Choksi, he faces a threat from his existing employees, who have not received their salaries yet. He has also claimed to have received threats from the family members of his employees, who are arraigned as co-accused in the PNB scam case.

“Further, there are other safety threats also from other inmates/ hardened criminals, who are either convicted and/ or being tried for offences like terrorism, sexual offences, murder, drug peddler etc.” the plea reads.

In his plea, Choksi has claimed that he never shied away from the probe or the probe agencies and instead, has ‘duly responded to all the communications’ received from the investigating agencies.

Interestingly, Choksi has

claimed his case is ‘very much’ different from that of Nirav Modi. He has said he has no role in the PNB scam. “I always had sanctioned limits for loans and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached my jewellery in respect of the first CBI complaint pertaining to Nirav Modi even though I have nothing to do

with it,” Choksi claimed.

“Moreover, the PNB wrote to CBI to ban me from leaving the country, which is very abnormal,” the plea states.

Having admitted the plea, the special court has now sought the CBI’s stand on the application and has asked the central agency to file its stay by July 11.