PNB fraud case: Antigua will cooperate in extraditing Mehul Choksi to India

The Antigua government Thursday said it would cooperate with India in the extradition of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, who is a prime accused along with his nephew Nirav Modi in the Rs 13,600-crore Punjab National Bank fraud case. The assurance was confirmed during a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Antigua counterpart E P Chet Greene on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. “Greene conveyed to the EAM the assurances of his Prime Minister for the fullest cooperation of their Government in the matter of extradition of Mehul Choksi to India,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. Speaking to reporters, Kumar added that Greene said his government and Prime Minister were committed on the extradition. “They have to follow certain procedures internal to their country. At the same time, when we mentioned we would like this to be resolved expeditiously, they expressed their undertaking saying they would like this to be resolved as quickly as possible within the framework of their law and court process,” Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. In August this year, Antigua had refused to extradite Choksi. In a letter, its Prime Minister Gaston Browne said Choksi’s passport could not be revoked as it was acquired legally, without any false representation, and nothing illegal was found against him while his application for Antiguan citizenship was pending.