13,500 crore scam drama in Dominica court

I am ready to respond to Indian agencies, I did not have a warrant when I left India

New Delhi: Mehul Choksi, a diamond trader who fled abroad following a Rs 13,500 crore scam with Punjab National Bank (PNB) and is facing extradition case in Dominica, has said he does not run away from the fear of Indian agencies.

Giving reasons for leaving the country, Mehul Choksi said that he has left the country for treatment. He also described himself as a law-abiding citizen. Inviting Indian agencies for his interview, Choksi said he was ready to answer any question.

According to media reports, Mehul Choksi, a 62-year-old businessman, has filed an affidavit in the Dominica High Court, saying, "I have asked the Indian authorities to interview me and ask any questions about any investigation."

"I have not run away from Indian agencies," Mehul Choksi said. There were no warrants against me when I left the country for treatment in America.

Mehul Choksi left the country in January 2018. Mehul Choksi fled the country just days before the Rs 13,500 crore PNB scam came to light and has been living in Antigua ever since. Not once since then has Mehul returned to the exact country. The CBI and ED have registered cases against him.

Mehul Choksi said in a June 3 application to the Dominica High Court that he did not want to run away. He also claimed that Interpol's Red Corner Notice was not an international warrant, but an appeal for surrender.