NEW DELHI: CBI requested a interpolate body to restore red notice against the fugitive Diamantaire Mehul Choksi argued that the previous decision to remove his name from the list was “serious omissions, violations of procedure, over-authority and errors”.
Committee for Control of Interpol’s records (CCF) removed Choksi from the list of fugitives based on his appeal last year, as a separate Interpol agency “not under the control” of the Interpol Secretariat and mainly Elected attorneys from different countries where people can challenge the decision to declare them fugitives.
Based on repeated appeals by Choksi who is wanted in a bank scam of Rs 13,000 crore at Punjab National Bank and is hiding in Antigua and Barbuda after fleeing India in 2018, CCF removed his name from the Red Notice list in November 2022, CBI said in a statement.
The Red Notice is the highest alert level of Interpol’s powerful 195-member international police collaboration to locate and temporarily arrest a fugitive awaiting extradition, surrender or legal action. similar reasoning.
The CBI’s statement came a day after media coverage of the CCF’s decision caused a major political uproar.
The agency broke its silence almost four months after the CCF received the decision to remove Choksi from the wanted list in November 2022, almost a month after India held the major Interpol General Assembly, the agency this said.
CCF has denied Choksi’s two previous appeals — in 2018, not publishing his name on the Red Notice list, and in 2020, to remove his name from the list — agreeing to the petition. his new office in 2022, a year after an agency reported the alleged kidnapping from Antigua and Barbuda.
Before making any decisions, CCF will hear from agencies that have searched for a fugitive’s fugitive status. The CBI was also required to provide input on Choksi’s appeal.
“It has been made clear (by CBI) that the most wanted criminal Mehul Chinubhai Choksi has been making every possible effort to derail the ongoing extradition process in Antigua and Barbuda, in order to escape. However, based solely on imaginary associations and unproven conjecture, a five-member CCF chamber made the decision to remove the Red Notice, informed in November 2022,” CBI said.
The statement said CBI admitted to CCF for serious omissions, violations of procedure, excess of authority and mistakes made by CCF in making this baseless and perfunctory decision.
“CBI continues to implement the remedies and appeals available within INTERPOL to correct this erroneous decision and reinstate the Red Notice,” it said.
The CCF later clarified to the CBI that their decision “did not take any decision on any guilt or innocence of Choksi” for the crimes he is still charged with in India, the agency said.
The CCF reiterated that “they have not established solid factual evidence and there is no factual evidence in their decision that Mehul Chinubhai Choksi will not receive a fair trial”.
The CBI has pointed out that even the authorities of Antigua consider that there is enough evidence to prove that Choksi concealed important facts or misrepresented facts when he applied for Antigua and Barbuda citizenship, a fact. reflect the criminal’s previous behavior.
Based on new information and serious errors in the decision, CBI is taking steps to have the CCF’s decision revised, the agency said.
Choksi fled India in the first week of January 2018, a few days before Rs 13,000 crore was discovered in the PNB. At the request of the CBI and the Directorate of Enforcement, Interpol placed his name on a list of most wanted fugitives known as the Red Notice in December 2018.
“It can be noted that Mehul Chinubhai Choksi was located prior to the Publication of the Interpol Red Notice and steps have also been started to extradite him. Although the main purpose of the Red Notice has been achieved, the same purpose is retained as a precautionary measure,” the CBI said.
The CBI made a public announcement to locate Choksi in February 2018. His movements were tracked by the CBI in close coordination with the country’s law enforcement agencies. out, and he was in Antigua and Barbuda, where he naturalized, a year before he escaped from India.
“The extradition request for Mehul Chinubhai Choksi was submitted through diplomatic channels to the competent authorities of Antigua and Barbuda in August 2018,” the statement said.
The CBI booked Choksi on February 15, 2018 and after the CCF’s decision was made, the agency applied new FIRs against him.
“CBI filed two indictments in the case against wanted criminal Mehul Choksi and others… Then in 2022, CBI registered five more criminal cases against Mehul Choksi and others. for defrauding banks and financial institutions,” it said.
The agency said that as extradition proceedings were underway for Choksi in Antigua and Barbuda, he began to approach various international forums with imaginary and fully staged stories to create redirection.
“Faced with the possibility of impending extradition from Antigua and Barbuda, wanted criminal Mehul Chinubhai Choksi once again aims to create a diversion from the ongoing process and derail the ongoing extradition process. took place, with false claims, staged dramatic stories and imaginary stories approached various international forums and also approached CCF in July 2022 to amend its decision. previously determined in 2020 (rejecting his claims,” the agency said.
Choksi disappeared from his sanctuary in Antigua and Barbuda in May 2021 to mysteriously reappear in neighboring Dominica, where he was detained for illegal entry.
The CBI mobilized its team to bring him back from Dominica, but Choksi’s lawyers quickly launched legal moves ensuring that he was brought back to Antigua and Barbuda and any immigration charges. illegal are abolished.
His lawyers have alleged that he was kidnapped from Antigua and Barbuda.
Committee for Control of Interpol’s records (CCF) removed Choksi from the list of fugitives based on his appeal last year, as a separate Interpol agency “not under the control” of the Interpol Secretariat and mainly Elected attorneys from different countries where people can challenge the decision to declare them fugitives.
Based on repeated appeals by Choksi who is wanted in a bank scam of Rs 13,000 crore at Punjab National Bank and is hiding in Antigua and Barbuda after fleeing India in 2018, CCF removed his name from the Red Notice list in November 2022, CBI said in a statement.
The Red Notice is the highest alert level of Interpol’s powerful 195-member international police collaboration to locate and temporarily arrest a fugitive awaiting extradition, surrender or legal action. similar reasoning.
The CBI’s statement came a day after media coverage of the CCF’s decision caused a major political uproar.
The agency broke its silence almost four months after the CCF received the decision to remove Choksi from the wanted list in November 2022, almost a month after India held the major Interpol General Assembly, the agency this said.
CCF has denied Choksi’s two previous appeals — in 2018, not publishing his name on the Red Notice list, and in 2020, to remove his name from the list — agreeing to the petition. his new office in 2022, a year after an agency reported the alleged kidnapping from Antigua and Barbuda.
Before making any decisions, CCF will hear from agencies that have searched for a fugitive’s fugitive status. The CBI was also required to provide input on Choksi’s appeal.
“It has been made clear (by CBI) that the most wanted criminal Mehul Chinubhai Choksi has been making every possible effort to derail the ongoing extradition process in Antigua and Barbuda, in order to escape. However, based solely on imaginary associations and unproven conjecture, a five-member CCF chamber made the decision to remove the Red Notice, informed in November 2022,” CBI said.
The statement said CBI admitted to CCF for serious omissions, violations of procedure, excess of authority and mistakes made by CCF in making this baseless and perfunctory decision.
“CBI continues to implement the remedies and appeals available within INTERPOL to correct this erroneous decision and reinstate the Red Notice,” it said.
The CCF later clarified to the CBI that their decision “did not take any decision on any guilt or innocence of Choksi” for the crimes he is still charged with in India, the agency said.
The CCF reiterated that “they have not established solid factual evidence and there is no factual evidence in their decision that Mehul Chinubhai Choksi will not receive a fair trial”.
The CBI has pointed out that even the authorities of Antigua consider that there is enough evidence to prove that Choksi concealed important facts or misrepresented facts when he applied for Antigua and Barbuda citizenship, a fact. reflect the criminal’s previous behavior.
Based on new information and serious errors in the decision, CBI is taking steps to have the CCF’s decision revised, the agency said.
Choksi fled India in the first week of January 2018, a few days before Rs 13,000 crore was discovered in the PNB. At the request of the CBI and the Directorate of Enforcement, Interpol placed his name on a list of most wanted fugitives known as the Red Notice in December 2018.
“It can be noted that Mehul Chinubhai Choksi was located prior to the Publication of the Interpol Red Notice and steps have also been started to extradite him. Although the main purpose of the Red Notice has been achieved, the same purpose is retained as a precautionary measure,” the CBI said.
The CBI made a public announcement to locate Choksi in February 2018. His movements were tracked by the CBI in close coordination with the country’s law enforcement agencies. out, and he was in Antigua and Barbuda, where he naturalized, a year before he escaped from India.
“The extradition request for Mehul Chinubhai Choksi was submitted through diplomatic channels to the competent authorities of Antigua and Barbuda in August 2018,” the statement said.
The CBI booked Choksi on February 15, 2018 and after the CCF’s decision was made, the agency applied new FIRs against him.
“CBI filed two indictments in the case against wanted criminal Mehul Choksi and others… Then in 2022, CBI registered five more criminal cases against Mehul Choksi and others. for defrauding banks and financial institutions,” it said.
The agency said that as extradition proceedings were underway for Choksi in Antigua and Barbuda, he began to approach various international forums with imaginary and fully staged stories to create redirection.
“Faced with the possibility of impending extradition from Antigua and Barbuda, wanted criminal Mehul Chinubhai Choksi once again aims to create a diversion from the ongoing process and derail the ongoing extradition process. took place, with false claims, staged dramatic stories and imaginary stories approached various international forums and also approached CCF in July 2022 to amend its decision. previously determined in 2020 (rejecting his claims,” the agency said.
Choksi disappeared from his sanctuary in Antigua and Barbuda in May 2021 to mysteriously reappear in neighboring Dominica, where he was detained for illegal entry.
The CBI mobilized its team to bring him back from Dominica, but Choksi’s lawyers quickly launched legal moves ensuring that he was brought back to Antigua and Barbuda and any immigration charges. illegal are abolished.
His lawyers have alleged that he was kidnapped from Antigua and Barbuda.
