Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi on Sunday revealed the names of his alleged abductors to Antiguan police and said that he was beaten mercilessly by 8-to-10 men who claimed themselves to be from the Antiguan police force. The Antigua police have initiated an investigation into the possible abduction of Choksi from Antigua on May 23, 2021, reported Antigua News Room.
Choksi in his complaint to Antigua police said: “8-10 men who claimed to be from Antiguan Police beat me mercilessly. I was barely conscious. They took my phone, watch and wallet. They told me that they didn't want to rob me & returned my money.”
Choksi in his complaint has also mentioned that after he reached Dominica, his abductors told him that he was taken there to meet a high ranking “Indian politician”. In his complaint, the fugitive businessman has named Barbara Jarabica, Narender Singh, Gurmit Singh and “unknown persons” as his abductors.
He further said he went to pick up the mystery woman who he claims to be on friendly terms for a year but was instead assaulted by a group of men.
"Over the past year, I have been on friendly terms with Barbara Jabarica. On May 23, she asked me to pick her up at her house. When I went there, 8-10 men appeared from all the entrances and beat me mercilessly," Choksi said in his complaint.
The woman was planted as an abduction plan, Choksi alleged. "When I was being beaten up, Jabarica didn't even attempt to help me or assist in any other way by calling for help from outside; how Jabarica conducted herself points that she was an integral part of this entire scheme to kidnap me," Choksi said.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne said that Choksi's lawyers wrote to the Police Commissioner providing the names of the people he believes abducted him and stated that the police and the government are taking the allegations seriously.
Also Read: Dominican High Court adjourns Mehul Choksi’s extradition matter till Thursday
The 62-year-old fugitive went missing from Antigua on May 23 when he went for dinner at a restaurant. While the Antigua PM said he fled to Dominica with his girlfriend, the businessman’s wife Priti Choksi and his lawyers -- Wayne Marsh and Vijay Aggarwal claimed he was kidnapped by the Antigua police and Indian officers, was tortured and taken to Dominica in a boat. Choksi was charged for illegal entry to Dominica and is getting treated at a hospital there after a court has adjourned the matter to June 14. A private jet that went last Friday with Indian officials carrying Choksi’s deportation documents hoping to bring him back from Dominica, has since returned.
The Dominica police told the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court that they found Choksi seated in suspicious condition near a jetty at Toucarie Bay in Dominica around 11.30 pm on May 24.
Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are accused of a loan fraud worth ₹13,500 crore in Punjab National Bank and Choksi fled the country to Antigua on January 4, 2018, a month before this massive scam came to notice.
He was granted citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in January 2018. He is involved in a legal battle to prevent his extradition to India.
Evidence suggests that he was trying to escape to Cuba in an attempt to evade extradition to India.
Also Read: India’s private jet sent to get Mehul Choksi leaves Dominica
The ED in a charge sheet recorded last year claimed that Choksi not only cheated Indian banks but customers and lenders in Dubai and the United States as well. His assets worth ₹2,500 crores have already been attached to the charge sheet.