Mehul Choksi opposes ED petition to declare him fugitive

Mumbai: Mehul Choksi - the fugitive diamantaire who is an accused in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam - has moved the Bombay high court, seeking dismissal of the application filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the special court to declare him a Fugitive Economic Offender (FEO).

Advocate Vijay Aggarwal on behalf of Choksi filed the petition in the Bombay high court, seeking to dismiss the ED’s application. He contended in the petition that Choksi was unable to return to India due to persistent health problems.

The ED had filed an application before the special court, seeking to declare Choksi a “fugitive economic offender” for evading summons to appear before the agency and participate in the investigation into the PNB scam. If declared a FEO, the ED can confiscate his properties under the provisions of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018.

The special court had rejected his plea following which, Choksi approached the HC. In his petition in the HC, advocate Aggarwal gave the details of Choksi to show that his medical condition was not allowing him to travel for such a long time that he could come to India. He also requested the court to allow him cross-examine those persons on whose statements the ED relied to declare Choksi a FEO.

Choksi’s petition was mentioned before the division bench of Justice I.A. Mahanty and A.M. Badar and the court posted his petitions for hearing on June 5.

It may be recalled that in the past, Choksi had also informed the court that one of the reasons for not coming to India was the reported cases of mob lynching and he feared for his life. He had contended that his existing employees whose salaries and dues had not been paid because of freezing of the accounts, the families of detained employees who had been arrested without any rhyme or reason, the landlords whose premises the companies had taken on rent who had not been paid their dues, the customers whose jewellery in the showroom had been taken away by the ED and the creditors of supplies and services who had not been paid their dues had grievances and anger against Choksi and he feared they might target him.