Withdrawal of the Interpol Red Notice against fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi recently accused of defrauding the Punjab National Bank of over Rs 20,000 crore that enables him to freely fly to any country, making it difficult for India to locate and initiate further extradition proceedings from that country.
A Red Notice issued through the Lyon-headquartered agency enables India to locate the fugitive and initiate extradition proceedings.
According to the sources, the Central Bureau of Investigation will formally file an appeal challenging the Interpol decision. Central probe agencies, through the Ministry of External Affairs, will also be challenging the Antiguan court order in the alleged kidnapping case that formed the basis for the withdrawal of Red Notice, they said.
More than the withdrawal of the Red Notice, the Interpol order is a huge embarrassment for the government, as it accepted the contention that the plot to abduct Mehul Choksi in 2022 was at the behest of the Indian government.
However, according to government sources, the cancellation of the Red Corner Notice (RCN) will not affect the case which is already in the advanced stage. There is a treaty in place, the moment Choksi will be arrested, the due procedure will be followed and action will be taken appropriately.
A spokesperson for Mehul Choksi has said that “The report from the Antiguan police, and the evidence adduced by Mr. Choksi in the ongoing High Court proceedings in Antigua, point to an alarming case of state-orchestrated kidnap, torture, and attempted rendition by the Indian government. The decision of Interpol to delete the Red Notice strengthens these concerns.”
Choksi fled to Antigua in 2018 and currently resides in the island country. Interpol opened Red Notice on the plea of the Enforcement Directorate over money laundering allegations, based on which the fugitive diamond trader was located in Antigua.
Choksi challenged the Red Notice in Interpol, citing an alleged ‘abduction’ plot. “I was abducted from Antigua to Dominica with the ultimate purpose of deporting to India,” he told Interpol, adding that he will not receive a fair trial or treatment if returned to India.
The Red Notice is the highest form of an alert issued by the 195-member country-strong Interpol to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.
Interpol issued the Red Notice against Choksi in 2018, nearly 10 months after he fled from India in January of that year to take refuge in Antigua and Barbuda, where he had taken citizenship.
The CBI has charge-sheeted both Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi separately in the scam.
