Govt agencies helped 'Mehul Bhai' acquire citizenship: Congress

The Congress on Friday jumped over an investigation of Antigua's Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU), lifting the veil on how every organ of the Modi government worked overtime giving "clean cheats" to the Rs 23,484-crore Punjab National Bank scamster Mehul Choksi, a diamond merchant, acquire the citizenship of Antigua & Barbuda in November 2017 to enjoy the visa-free access to 132 countries.

Mehul, who Prime Minister used to patronise as "Hamare Mehul bhai, fled from India on January 4 along with his nephew Neerav Modi and yet the government enacted a farce of cancelling his Indian passport despite the knowledge of acquiring the other country's passport two months earlier, Congress chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala.

Releasing the documents on how Prime Minister Modi, who declared himself as the country's "Chowkidar" in 2014 had become a "Bhagidar" (partner) of the fugitives, he said all government agencies – PMO, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), CBI and SEBI – helped Mehul in the Great Escape to become the Carribbean country's citizen.

He said the MEA had furnished a "clean chit" certificate for Mehul's citizenship of Antiqua in May 2017 that it had "no adverse information" against him. A similar clean chit was also given to him by SEBI.

Surjewala said protection of CBI and Enforcement Directorate to Mehul Choksi, who is a fugitive offender, was also exposed as they did not disclose the active warrant against him at the time his citizenship application was being processed and so the INTERPOL gave its clearance.

Still worse, Prime Minister did not raise the issue of Mehul's citizenship with Antigua PM Gaston Browne when they met in April, three months after his great escape from India, as the latter confirmed to a TV channel on July 27 that nobody from the Indian government approached them on Mehul Choksi declared as a fugitive, he said.