Mehul Choksi deportation case: No longer an Indian citizen, can’t be deported

Despite the Indian government sending personnel with legal documentation and a chartered plane to Dominica for his straight deportation to India, the fate of absconding diamond dealer Mehul Choksi remains unknown.

Although the advent of a Bombardier Global 5000 long-range business jet at Dominica's Doughlas-Charles airport signalled the Centre's inclination to apprehend Choksi, India's challenge is to deter his return to Antigua and Barbuda, where, according to the Caribbean nation's PM Gaston Browne, Choksi enjoys legal and constitutional rights amidst his government's efforts to revoke the diamond dealer's citizenship.

According to Browne, Indian authorities had indeed sent a plane to Dominica on 28th May, where Choksi is in the custody of law enforcement forces, while insisting that Dominica needed to deport Choksi directly to India rather than repatriating him to Antigua.

On Sunday, the Caribbean leader, who chose to send the alleged fraudster back to India, denied Choksi's lawyers' claim that he had been kidnapped and taken to Dominica.

Browne stated that Choksi had gone to Dominica with his girlfriend. Dominica's authorities, as per sources in Delhi, are willing to cooperate.

They are concerned, however, about the position of courts in Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda, where Choksi has hired costly counsel. In addition, as Browne stated, his team has solicited the help of opposition parties in Antigua and Barbuda.

Because of the limited size of Dominica's airport, the government chose a Bombardier Global 5000 rented from Qatar Executive, a charter division of Qatar Airways. It can only handle small planes that can fly for about 500 kilometres without refuelling.

The Bombardier, on the other hand, can fly for long periods of time. It took off from Delhi on Thursday afternoon and arrived in Dominica 12 hours later, with only a refuelling stop in Madrid in between.

Authorities in Delhi, according to sources, tried to avoid making too many stops in the case that they were able to apprehend Choksi.

Choksi's lawyer argued before the court, which halted his repatriation and will resume hearings on Wednesday, that he cannot be transported back to India because he lost his Indian citizenship after acquiring Antiguan citizenship.

Browne also stated that the issue of Choksi's Antiguan citizenship remained undecided, which is significant for India.

"Yes, I can confirm there is a jet there. As per my understanding, the Indian government has sent certain paperwork from Indian courts to verify that Choksi is a fugitive, and that paperwork will be utilised in a court case that will be heard next Wednesday "Browne said to a local media outlet.

Choksi had proceeded with his girlfriend to Dominica, where he was imprisoned on 26th May for illegal entry, according to Browne, who has also been accused by the opposition of attempting to deprive Choksi of his legal rights.

Browne has retaliated against opposition leaders, claiming that Choksi is funding them. Choksi has claimed, through his lawyer, that he was kidnapped and carried to Dominica by men who sounded Indian.

"As per the evidence we have, Mehul Choksi may have taken his girlfriend to Dominica to have dinner or have a good time and then been caught. That would have been a huge mistake since he is a citizen of Antigua and we couldn't deport him" Browne remarked in an interview with a local radio station.

"The issue is that if he is sent back to Antigua because he is an Antiguan citizen, he will continue to have constitutional and legal rights even though his citizenship status is uncertain. We are confident that his citizenship will be withdrawn as a result of his failure to disclose material information," Browne concluded.