Allegations against me false, baseless: Mehul Choksi in video statement

Mumbai: In a first video statement, fugitive billionaire Mehul Choksi defended himself by saying that all allegation made by Enforcement Directorate are false and baseless.

Choksi in the video said, "All the allegations labelled by the EDI are false and baseless. They have attached my properties illegally without being any basis of the seen."

Mehul Choksi, who is wanted in India for Rs 13,000 crore bank fraud has put out a video statement for the first time since he was named in the case.

Prime accused in the over USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank scam along with his nephew Nirav Modi, Choksi is absconding and is currently in Antigua.

Choksi further told that he tried to revoke the suspension of his passport with the Indian authorities.

"The passport authorities revoked my passport altogether in view of which I was immobilize. On February 16, I received an email from the passport office which said that my passport has been suspended due to reasons of security threat to India. On February 20, I sent an email to the regional passport office, Mumbai, requesting them to revoke the suspension of my passport. However, I did not receive any reply from the regional passport office," he said.

Choksi further alleged that he was not given a reason for the cancellation of his passport.

"The regional passport office did not give an explanation as to why my passport has been suspended and how I was a security threat to India. Hence, as my passport was suspended, there was no question of surrendering the same," stated Choksi.

His statement comes at a time when the Indian government is trying to extradite Choksi to India under the diplomatic provisions.