Mehul Choksi May Return To India In 3 Months If Medically Fit: Lawyer
MUMBAI, Nov 18: Fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, wanted in a Rs. 13,000 crore bank fraud, may return to India in three months "if his condition gets better", his lawyer said.
The lawyer told a Mumbai court on Saturday that Mehul Choksi is not in a position to record his statement, news agency ANI reported. The 59-year-old had claimed he left India in January for medical treatment in the US.
"There is one option and according to that, investigation can be done through video conferencing. Officer from India can go to Antigua in order to investigate him. The third option is that if his condition gets better in three months and if his doctors allow him to, then he will come back to India to join investigation," lawyer Sanjay Abbot said.
The Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court was hearing the Enforcement Directorate's request to declare him a "fugitive" under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act. Efforts are on to extradite Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi to India.
Appearing before the court, Mehul Choksi's lawyer said that they have always replied to all questions by the court on time.
Mehul Choksi and his nephew, celebrity jeweller Nirav Modi, are being sought by multiple investigating agencies after it was revealed that the two extracted crores in loans from banks abroad on the basis of fake guarantees in the name of Punjab National Bank, India's second largest state-owned bank. The two fled India in January.
The Enforcement Directorate had sought to declare Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi "fugitive economic offenders" and clearance to confiscate their assets worth Rs. 3,500 crore.
The businessman was granted citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda last year and he took the oath of allegiance to that country on January 15.
Courtesy: www.ndtv.com
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.
Bengaluru: Four arrested for housebreaking, threats, extortion; fake PSI among accused
Bengaluru: Vidyaranyapura police have arrested four persons, including a man posing as a Police Sub-Inspector (PSI), for allegedly breaking into a house, threatening the occupants, and extorting money while wearing police uniforms.
The arrested accused have been identified as Mallikarjuna, Pramod, Vinay, and Hrithik.
Police said the accused had hatched a plan to pose as police personnel, conduct fake raids, and extort money from residents by intimidation.
ALSO READ: Bantwal police arrest two men for illegal sale of narcotics, seize two vehicles, 810 gm ganja
According to the police, Mallikarjuna had failed the PSI examination twice and later falsely projected himself as a PSI. He allegedly conducted photo shoots in his hometown, Siraguppa, wearing a police uniform, baton, cap, and shoes, claiming to be serving as a PSI in Bengaluru.
On December 7, the four accused allegedly went to the house of Naveen in the Vidyaranyapura limits, threatened him with a stick and an iron rod, and claimed they had information that he was selling ganja. Under the pretext of searching, they allegedly extorted ₹87,000 through bank transfer, ₹53,000 in cash kept in the house, and ₹2,000 from his wallet.
Following Naveen’s complaint, Vidyaranyapura police registered a case and launched an operation, leading to the arrest of all four accused. Police have seized ₹45,000 in cash and the car used to commit the crime.
Further investigation is underway.
