NEW DELHI: The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court In the High Court of Justice Commonwealth of Dominica on Friday put a stay on the repatriation of India-born fugitive Mehul Choksi from Dominica. "This order is to be served immediately on the Defendants by email and fax and in person, and the Head of Immigration at the Douglas Charles Airport by email and fax," read the Court order.
Court will hold the next hearing in the matter on May 28 at 9 am local time. Wayne Marsh, Choksi's lawyer in Dominica, earlier said that they were denied access to their client and it was only on May 27 that he was finally given access to speak to Choksi.
"I noticed that he was severely beaten, his eyes were swollen and had several burnt marks on his body. He reported to me that he was abducted at Jolly Harbour in Antigua and brought to Dominica by persons whom he believed to be Indian and Antiguan police on a vessel he described to be about 60-70 feet in length," Marsh told ANI.
Terming it a "travesty of justice", Marsh added that the whole nation needs to speak out and as a lawyer they would do whatever they can to stop the abuse of Choksi. Earlier, a massive manhunt was launched after Choksi went missing and an Interpol Yellow Notice was issued by Antigua and Barbuda. He was traced and captured in Dominica.
Mehul Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are wanted in India for allegedly siphoning off Rs 13,500 crore of public money from the state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) using letters of undertaking.