Woman Helped to Abduct Mehul Choksi; Indian Plane on Hand to Repatriate Him

First Citizens 3rd June, 2021

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New facts have emerged that a woman was with Indian fugitive and Antiguan businessman, Mehul Choksi, when he was arrested and detained in Dominica. The woman was first touted to be his girlfriend but has now been found to be the one that facilitated his kidnapping to Dominica.

According to Antiguan sources, the unnamed woman joined Choksi on his morning and evening walks and they soon became friends. Then she invited him to a location where a group of persons abducted him and put him in vessel bound for Dominica.

Choksi’s lawyers allege that his kidnappers had links to India and were working on the instructions of the Indian government and Antiguan collaborators to kidnap and have him repatriated to India. The lawyers said he was beaten and tortured in the vessel en route Dominica before police officials sighted the ship and arrested him.

Antiguan and Barbudan Prime Minister Gaston Browne earlier hinted that Choksi went on a pleasure trip to Dominica with his girlfriend. He however urged the Dominican government to hand him over to Indian authorities to face criminal charges in his native country. Browne said Choksi’s attempts to revoke his Indian citizenship has not been successful and so should be sent back instead of to Antigua where he is a citizen.

The High Court in Roseau blocked the fugitive’s extradition and fixed June 2 to hear a habeas corpus application filed by his lawyers. He remains at the DCFH where he is undergoing treatment for an undisclosed condition.

While PM Gaston Browne alleged that the opposition in Antigua is backing Choksi in order to obtain campaign funds, the opposition leader in Dominica is also supporting the fugitive. Lennox Linton said the Dominican government is trying to extradite Choksi in flagrant disregard for his constitutional human rights in order to curry favour from the Indian government.

And in a swift turn of events, PM Gaston alleged that a private plane parked at the Douglas-Charles Airport was dispatched by the Indian government to bring Choksi back home. But the veracity of this claim remains to be confirmed by the Dominican government.