A special court on Wednesday rejected the plea of diamantaire Mehul Choksi, a key accused in the multi-crore PNB scam, seeking records related to the suspension of his passport from the regional passport authority.
Choksi’s lawyers had moved a plea before the special court hearing the plea of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to declare Choksi a fugitive economic offender.
Choksi had claimed that he cannot return to India as his passport is suspended on the ground that he is a “security threat to India”. He had claimed that he did not leave India to avoid criminal prosecution nor was he refusing to return to the country.
Choksi left India on January 2, 2018, claiming he was heading for better medical treatment. The ED had claimed, “Evidence collected during investigation indicate that Choksi had anticipated that the bank fraud was going to be unearthed very soon and he would be arrested by the investigating agencies for the fraud and, therefore, he had tried to dispose of his properties before fleeing the country.”
The plea, however, stated that to declare him a fugitive economic offender and confiscate his properties, the agency has to satisfy two conditions: That Choksi left the country to avoid criminal prosecution, or being in abroad he has refused to return to India to face criminal prosecution.
It is further stated that in February 2018, Choksi was asked to appear before the investigating officer of ED. In his reply, which is attached to the plea, Choksi had claimed that he would not be able to appear before the officer in view of the communication received by the Indian government on February 18, 2018, that his passport had been cancelled citing “threat to the security of India”.
Besides, it is further stated in the plea that he left India for his medical check-up and treatment much before registration of any FIR and/or ECIR and was not aware of any prosecution being filed against him. Therefore, he did not left India to avoid criminal prosecution.
A special court on Wednesday rejected the plea of diamantaire Mehul Choksi, a key accused in the multi-crore PNB scam, seeking records related to the suspension of his passport from the regional passport authority.
Choksi’s lawyers had moved a plea before the special court hearing the plea of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to declare Choksi a fugitive economic offender.
Choksi had claimed that he cannot return to India as his passport is suspended on the ground that he is a “security threat to India”. He had claimed that he did not leave India to avoid criminal prosecution nor was he refusing to return to the country.
Choksi left India on January 2, 2018, claiming he was heading for better medical treatment. The ED had claimed, “Evidence collected during investigation indicate that Choksi had anticipated that the bank fraud was going to be unearthed very soon and he would be arrested by the investigating agencies for the fraud and, therefore, he had tried to dispose of his properties before fleeing the country.”
The plea, however, stated that to declare him a fugitive economic offender and confiscate his properties, the agency has to satisfy two conditions: That Choksi left the country to avoid criminal prosecution, or being in abroad he has refused to return to India to face criminal prosecution.
It is further stated that in February 2018, Choksi was asked to appear before the investigating officer of ED. In his reply, which is attached to the plea, Choksi had claimed that he would not be able to appear before the officer in view of the communication received by the Indian government on February 18, 2018, that his passport had been cancelled citing “threat to the security of India”.
Besides, it is further stated in the plea that he left India for his medical check-up and treatment much before registration of any FIR and/or ECIR and was not aware of any prosecution being filed against him. Therefore, he did not left India to avoid criminal prosecution.
