Mehul Choksi is Antigua: CBI sources
New Delhi, Aug 2 : Fugitive Indian diamond trader Mehul Choksi, wanted by Indian authorities in Rs 13,500-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, is in Antigua and Berbuda, CBI sources said on Thursday.
"The Antiguan authorities confirmed his presence in Antigua," a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) source said.
He said the Antiguan authroties' reply came after CBI wrote to them seeking details of Choksi's whereabouts in the fraud case.
On July 24, it was revealed that Choksi had moved to Antigua from the US several weeks ago using an Antiguan passport. The revelation came from Antiguan authorities in response to a CBI diffusion notice (a request to Interpol for the arrest of a specific person) circulated to foreign countries through Interpol.
The red corner notice (RCN) request from the CBI to the Interpol against Choksi is still pending.
On July 11, the ED asked a special court in Mumbai to declare both diamond merchants -- Choksi and Nirav Modi -- as 'fugitives' under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance 2018 because they had fled India a month before they were named in the fraud case on January 31.
The ED has been probing two cases of money laundering against Choksi, Nirav Modi and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on the basis of an FIR registered by the CBI.
In these cases, the ED had on May 24 and May 26 filed prosecution complaints or charge-sheets against Choksi and Nirav Modi.
The court has taken cognisance of the charge-sheets and issued non-bailable warrant against both of them.
On the request of the ED and the CBI, the Interpol had earlier issued RCN against Nirav Modi.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Maharashtra farmer’s kidney sale in Cambodia exposes suspected international organ racket
Mumbai: A 36-year-old dairy farmer from Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district allegedly sold his kidney in Cambodia after mounting debts and alleged harassment by moneylenders. His complaints has led police to uncover what they describe as a wider transnational organ trafficking network.
According to The Print, Roshan Kule is a resident of Minthur village. He approached police in December 2025, alleging that severe financial distress forced him to travel to Phnom Penh, where he underwent kidney removal surgery on October 14, 2024, at Preah Ket Mealea Hospital. He told investigators he received around ₹8 lakh for the organ.
The case was raised in the Maharashtra Assembly last week, where Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed authorities to expedite the probe.
Superintendent of Police Mummaka Sudarshan said investigators suspect an organised racket involving agents, medical professionals and hospitals. “So far, only Kule has come forward, but we believe there are more donors facing financial distress. We are persuading others to share information,” he said.
According to Kule’s complaint, his troubles began in March 2021 when all 12 of his cows contracted lumpy skin disease. After spending about ₹40,000 on treatment, he allegedly borrowed ₹1 lakh from a local moneylender at high interest. He claimed he was later threatened and assaulted for failing to repay the amount within the stipulated time.
Kule named several lenders in his complaint, alleging that between 2021 and 2022 he paid back over ₹48.5 lakh against loans of only a few lakh rupees. He said he sold land, pledged gold and gave up a tractor but remained under pressure.
Police said Kule contacted Ramkrushna Sunchu, a Solapur resident described as an intermediary in the network, after searching online for options. Investigators alleged that another agent, Himanshu Bhardwaj of Mohali, facilitated travel arrangements. Sunchu himself had previously sold a kidney, police said.
After returning to India, Kule reportedly traveled to Vietnam for job arranged by one of the agents, when he was allegedly beaten and his passport confiscated. He requested assistance from Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar in July 2025 and he was certified to return to India.
Police have registered cases against six people under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for extortion, criminal intimidation, and conspiracy, as well as parts of the Maharashtra Money Lending (Regulation) Act.
During the investigation, Bhardwaj was found to have earlier sold his kidney at Star Kims Hospital in Tamil Nadu. Authorities are probing the alleged involvement of the hospital’s managing director, Dr Rajaratnam Govindswamy, who is currently absconding after securing transit bail from the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court.
Investigators also suspect the role of Delhi-based surgeon Dr Ravinderpal Singh, who allegedly performed transplant procedures linked to the network. The matter is being heard before the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, which has granted Singh anticipatory bail and interim protection till March 11.
According to police, recipients were allegedly charged between ₹55 lakh and ₹60 lakh per transplant, with the money shared among doctors, agents, hospitals and donors. Sunchu and Bhardwaj are currently in custody.
The investigation is being conducted by a Special Investigation Team led by Additional SP Ishwar Katkade and further details are awaited.
