Man believed to be mind behind Mehul Choksi’s escape plan 

Dominica: Recently, unanimous sources have shared a picture of Mehul Choksi with a middle-aged man, who is believed to be the mind behind his escape plan from Antigua. As per sources, the identity of the man is yet to be determined but it has been found that this man was taking Choksi to Cuba through the sea route. However, it seems the plan didn’t work out and Choksi was nabbed in Dominica.

[caption id="attachment_35191" align="aligncenter" width="377"] Mehul Choksi with a man who allegedly handled his transfer to Cuba[/caption]

Earlier, Govin a close aide of Mehul Choksi had exposed his plan to leave Antigua and settle in a safehouse in Cuba. He had allegedly told local media that Choksi also holds another citizenship of Caribbean country rather than Antigua and Barbuda.

[caption id="attachment_34863" align="alignleft" width="1066"] Image of Govin[/caption]

Amid suspense over the disappearance of Indian fugitive Mehul Choksi from Anitgua and Barbuda and later being arrested in Dominica for illegally entering the Island nation, Choksi’s lawyers have alleged he was abducted. 

But interestingly, the defence counsels have missed a very crucial fact in their ‘cooked up’ abduction story as the yacht in which they claimed Choksi was transferred to Dominica after allegedly abducted from Antigua and Barbuda, had left the port around seven hours before he went missing. It is assumed that they checked a list of all boats travelling from Antigua to Dominica to make up a story defending Choksi.

However, the official and local media reports suggest totally opposite to their claims of abduction as Choksi has been believed to have attempted to enter Dominica illegally along with his alleged Bulgarian girlfriend. Some reports further suggest that he was fleeing to Cuba fearing deportation to India, where he is accused of a suspected $2 billion fraud. Antiguan and Dominican authorities are still investigating the mystery behind the Choksi episode, so the truth is yet to unfold officially. 

As per official information on record, the family members of Mehul Choksi informed the local police of Antigua and Barbuda on May 23 that he has been missing since 5 pm and a formal complaint was lodged at the police station after which a manhunt was started to trace him. As per a copy of the complaint, Choksi was last seen at his residence located in the Jolly Harbour area by his staff members. As per sources, the staff members had no information about his whereabouts after he left his residence, while the role of the family is still under scanner.

Defence lawyers have alleged that after the abduction, Calliope of Arne yacht was used to transfer Choksi from Antigua to Dominica. Debunking Choksi’s lawyers claims the customs clearance document shows that the yacht left for Dominica from the port of Antigua at 10:09 am on May 23, 2021, while he was last seen at around 5 pm on the same day in Antigua. The facts show that the defence lawyers failed to check one small detail in their ‘cooked up’ abduction story as the ship left in the morning not in the evening as they claim.

Legal experts believe this fact could be disastrous for the defence’s abduction story if they failed to negate it in court. With at least a seven-hour time difference between Choksi going missing and the ship leaving for Dominica this cannot be the same boat used by him.   

Choksi family has hired senior lawyers from India, United Kingdon, Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda to stop Mehul Choksi’s deportation to India after he was arrested for illegally entering Dominica on May 25. 

The lawyers are attempting to bring Choksi back to Antigua and Barbuda, where he is a citizen, alleging that his human rights are violated as he was tortured after the arrest. They have claimed that Choksi has sustained injuries on all over the body.

Advocate Andrew Reynolds said that the injuries highlighted by the lawyers on Choksi’s body are kind of blunt. “These kinds of injuries are very common when a fugitive is nabbed by cops as the accused always try to escape and get into a fight with the police personnel. So these injuries might be the result of a scuffle during his arrest as if he was tortured the nature of the injury should have been severe. Moreover, there are no injuries concerning electric shock alleged by them,” he added.  

 

After the defense lawyers, similar abduction story claims were made by Lennox Linton- Leader of Opposition in Dominica, who also alleged that Choski was shipped on Calliope of Arne yacht from Antigua to Dominica after abduction and ship left in the evening. While going through the facts and the details the scripted story was handed over to Linton, who did not bother to cross-check the detail if they were true or not.  

Lennox Linton has further alleged that Choksi was transferred to Dominica on May 23 the same day he went missing. But this again does not match with the on-record information as he went missing after 5 pm so it is impossible to reach Dominica from Antigua via sea with that small-time frame especially during the night. 

According to an expert familiar with coastal activities says “It takes at least 11-12 hours to cover 121 miles seaway distance between Antigua and Dominica at an average speed of 14 knots. The Calliope of Arne left on time in the morning so it must be another boat that was used by Choksi. He cannot reach same day, he must have reached on May 24 or 25 as travelling during the night is comparatively slow,” the expert added.

[caption id="attachment_4157" align="alignleft" width="236"] Lennox Linton, Leader of Opposition and UWP[/caption]

Choksi’s cousin Chetan Choksi rushed to Dominica on May 29, 2021 for his rescue. He was put under home isolation till May 30. It has been reported soon after reaching Chetan called out to Lennox Linton in Marigot, where they both held a two-hour meeting and allegedly made a deal of $200,000 as token money and further election funding in lieu of raising Mehul Choksi’s arrest in the parliament and spread the said abduction story in the media.

Chetan Chinubhai Choksi has defrauded $25M from ICIC bank’s UK subsidiary operating under the Antwerp branch.

There are reports which suggest that Choksi was planning to leave Dominica soon as he was scheduled to reach Cuba, where he was supposed to be put in a second safe house so his extradition process in Antigua could be halted.

In a recent interview, Priti Choksi - wife of Mehul Choksi had stated that they enjoy citizenship rights of Antigua and Barbuda, which they purchased with crooked money. The US $2 billion looted from the people of India, which might had been a major source to enhance the medical infrastructure of the country.