Criminal kidnapping? Extra-judicial rendition by secret agents? An elaborate ruse by Choksi himself? Speculation is rife on how exactly, Mehul Choksi, the mogul wanted on allegations of involvement in a massive bank fraud scandal in India, and who's been living in Antigua and Barbuda as a citizen (through a citizenship by investment programme), somehow managed to disappear on the evening of Sunday, May 23rd, then resurface in Dominica.
He has now been arrested there, reportedly for entering Dominica illegally by boat. But his lawyers there say he did not come willingly. And some would ask, why would he have? He's been contesting the Antigua and Barbuda government's attempt to revoke his Antigua and Barbuda citizenship and extradite him to India. He's been doing so since at least 2019. Legal proceedings in Antiguan and Barbudan courts did not appear to be at the stage where it would have made sense for him to flee. So why leave? And why Dominica?
Choksi has his own version of events - that he was kidnapped - and he's shown evidence to support it. Photos of him in lockup in Dominica have surfaced, his eyes bloodshot and his arms bruised purple. So if his story is true, then who kidnapped him, and why? He's a rich man, but there's been nothing said of ransom. Was it a plot to return him to India? That seems plausible, but no conclusion can be drawn. For now, he's fighting new battles in the courts of Dominica, the foremost among them being, assumedly, to resist being sent to India.
On this segment, we will be asking our guests: What questions does his disappearance raise, and what does his being in Dominica mean for Antigua and Barbuda? The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:
This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on May 30th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online. Illustration credit: Ajay Mohanty.
