A Dominican court changed Mehul Choksi’s detention center but later allowed him to stay as a patient at the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital in Roseau due to health problems.
Mehul Choksi will be driven to the local court in Roseau, Dominica on June 2, 2021 (Photo: PTI)
HIGHLIGHTS
- Choksi’s lawyers argued that he was allowed to stay in the hospital
- Dominican authorities are holding Mehul Choksi for illegal entry
- His police custody was commuted to prison: Choksi’s lawyer Vijay Aggarwal
Mehul Choksi remains in custody for another week at the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital in Roseau. Choksi, a prime defendant in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, was taken into custody by the district court in Roseau earlier Thursday.
The court ordered that Mehul Choksi be transferred from the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital to the state prison.
Choksi’s legal team cited his “poor health” to take his case to court. His lawyers argued that it was inappropriate for the 62-year-old fugitive diamond dealer to be held in prison.
The district court heard the plea and decided to allow it Mehul Choksi remains in custody at the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital. The conditions of his pre-trial detention are expected to be reviewed after eight days.
During his hospital stay, however, Mehul Choksi is guarded by a prison guard and not, as before, by a police officer.
Choksi had did not appear at the district court A hearing earlier this week. His legal department had cited medical reports claiming he had “high blood pressure” and “mental stress”.
“Yes, [Choksi’s] The police custody has been converted to prison, but he has to stay in the hospital as his health has deteriorated, “his lawyer Vijay Aggarwal told PTI news agency on Thursday.
Why is Mehul Choksi in Dominica?
Mehul Choksi, a prime suspect of Rs 13,000 crore PNB fraud, fled India in 2018 and settled in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda.
In May of this year, he was arrested by the Coast Guard in neighboring Dominica and charged with illegal entry.
The Mehul Choksi-related case is being heard by the District Court in Roseau, Dominica. Because of his poor health, he is on remand at the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital in Rosea.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA) has asked the Dominican authorities to deport Choksi directly to India instead of allowing him to return to Antigua and Barbuda.
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