I’m a soft target. Have nothing left to give, says fugitive Mehul Choksi
New Delhi, Sept 10: Diamond jeweller Mehul Choksi said on Sunday that he is a “victim of political persecution” and a “soft target” for the Indian government because it is finding it “impossible” to get other people wanted for economic crimes extradited from the UK.
In his first media interview since the accusations surfaced, Choksi, who is in Antigua and Barbuda, said he was confident that the government of his new country would “protect its citizen” in accordance with the law of the land.
Choksi and his nephew and fellow diamond merchant Nirav Modi have been accused of defrauding the state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) to the tune of Rs 13,500 crore. A multi-agency probe is on against him – involving the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax Department – and formal charges have been filed against him by CBI and ED.
“I am being considered as a soft or easy target because the Indian government is finding it impossible to get other wanted persons extradited from countries such as the UK… There were complacencies in the bank operations, systems, procedures guidelines, etc, as many bank officials have been charged for not doing their job according to the banking norms and policies. The bank is squarely liable for the lapses. However, I have been made a scapegoat,” Choksi said in an interview that was conducted over the phone and through written responses in an interaction that was facilitated by his legal team.
Asked about his involvement in the fraud, Choksi said, “I do not know the exact financial details because there were officers in my company who dealt with such matters… I know that we have a more than a two-decade-old relationship with PNB.”
When asked whether he was still interested in settling the dues with PNB, Choksi said: “My brand value has come to zero… Everything I have has been seized. They can sell off my assets and pay whoever has to be paid. They should take it from ED, I am in no position to return any money.”
Choksi’s nephew Nirav Modi has been traced to the UK, and India has mounted a legal challenge to bring both of them back to face trial.
India has also been trying to extradite liquor baron Vijay Mallya and former cricket administrator Lalit Modi from the UK.
India had sent a team to Antigua last month to formally ask the government there to extradite Choksi under a Commonwealth provision that allows extradition between two member-countries. India also told Antigua that there was no requirement of an Interpol red notice against Choksi since it is used to locate a fugitive, which has already been done in this case.
Choksi challenged the powers of Antigua’s minister of external affairs – quoting Section 9(4)of the Antigua Extradition Act 1993 – to forward the request of any Commonwealth country (such as India) to the extradition court that can even result in provisional arrest. He termed the power as “arbitrary” and said it does not give the person sought to be extradited the right to be heard.
Asked why he had taken Antiguan citizenship, Choksi said he did it to “expand his business”, but added that his “human rights were violated” in India due to actions taken by different investigating agencies.
“Besides the treatment meted out to other accused (in the case against him), like denial of permission to meet lawyer and illegal arrests by CBI, made me lose faith in the Indian legal system,” he said, and alleged that he was undergoing a trial by media.
“My case was being discussed in panel discussions on prime time TV and in one of the shows suggestions were made to set secret agencies after me to hunt me down and kill me. Because of the above human rights violation, nothing was left for me in India and I had to renounce the citizenship (of India), and now I am an Antiguan citizen,” Choksi said.
“Antiguan laws follow English common law principles, wherein human rights are treated at a very high pedestal. I would thus be seeking the same protection as sought by Vijay Mallya (in the UK challenging his extradition to India),” he added.
“Also, the manner in which the events unfolded in the last six months makes it clear that my life would be in danger in India. There have been various reported cases of mob lynching, and in one of the cases an accused was lynched while being inside a jail. There are people who have grievances and anger against me,” he said.
In emails to investigating agencies in March this year, Choksi did not speak about not returning to India -- he claimed that his ill health was not allowing him travel and that the revocation of his passport made it impossible for him to travel to India.
He said on Sunday that he was not living a “life of luxury” in the Caribbean nation.
“I am being hounded by media persons of Antigua and India, as they know that I am in Antigua now. I feel extremely sad that serving my country (India) to the best of the ability and after being a patriot and I am compelled to live such a life -- that too at the fag end, in such old age when I need constant medical attention,” Choksi said.
He denied that he fled India when the CBI was about to file a case against him. “I was already abroad receiving cardiac treatment and was hospitalised when news of the PNB case broke.”
Courtesy: www.hindustantimes.com
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People must do politics; elected representatives must work, says Actor Prakash Raj
Kalaburagi: Actor and activist Prakash Raj has said that in a democracy, politics must be done by the people, while elected representatives are meant to work and serve after winning elections.
Speaking at the launch of Vartha Bharati's Kalyana Karnataka edition in Kalaburagi on Saturday, Prakash Raj said that once representatives are elected, their only responsibility is service. “This is our tax, our country. Service is the only job of people’s representatives. They come to seek votes every five years; the people do not,” he said.
Releasing the newspaper’s special issue at the event, he asserted that the distinction between people and politicians must never be reversed. “This is our country. Citizens must continuously engage in politics, and politicians must continuously work. Never change this order. Politics belongs to the people,” he said.
ALSO READ: Kalaburagi: ‘Vartha Bharati’ Kalyana Karnataka edition launched
Quoting writer P. Lankesh, Prakash Raj said newspapers, media, artists, and citizens must act as a permanent opposition. “They must be the voice of the people without seeking the patronage of the ruling party. Only then can they work fearlessly,” he said. He stressed the need to clearly tell today’s society who must engage in politics.
Referring to regional imbalance, he said Karnataka has become Bengaluru-centric and confined largely to southern Karnataka. With Vartha Bharati entering the Kalyana Karnataka region, he said the newspaper must contribute to the region’s development by consistently reporting its issues with a strong voice.
Prakash Raj also spoke about the role of independent media, saying that anyone can be swept away in a flood, including dead fish, but to swim against the current requires life. “Independent media have that life. Ravish Kumar, The Wire, and Vartha Bharati have the courage to swim against the flood,” he said.
He warned that fear strengthens authoritarianism. “If we are not afraid, they will be afraid,” he said, alleging that institutions such as the police, Election Commission, courts, and media are being pressured, silenced, and manipulated for political benefit. Expressing concern over the denial of bail to Umar Khalid, he said there is a visible lack of conscience in institutions meant to deliver justice to the people.
Recalling the early years after Independence, Prakash Raj said there was once fear of the police but also faith in the judiciary. “There was confidence that injustice would be addressed in court. Today, that faith no longer exists,” he said. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party are responsible for the present situation.
Using a metaphor, he said India is like a pond disturbed by a demon within it. “A lotus blooms on the surface, that is the BJP. We are fighting the lotus, but the real fight should be against the RSS, the root power beneath,” he said.
Drawing parallels with past global authoritarian regimes, he said leaders like Hitler and Mussolini headed political parties and could be defeated electorally. “The RSS is not a political party. Defeating the BJP alone is not enough. The roots must be uprooted,” he said, adding that despite changes in appearance, the ideological growth remains unchanged.
Prakash Raj also raised concerns over Hindi imposition, delimitation, and what he described as political oppression of southern states such as Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh in the name of elections. He said people must recognise who is responsible for this oppression and understand the role of newspapers like Vartha Bharati in identifying and exposing it.
The event also marked the formal launch of Vartha Bharati's Kalyana Karnataka edition in Kalaburagi.
