Antigua: Mehul Choksi Alleges Torture, Kidnapping by Indian Agencies After Bail

New Delhi: Mehul Choksi, the fugitive diamantaire who was granted parole after almost two months in a Dominican jail, claimed an Indian "kidnapping attempt" and that he was prepared to help in the Rs 13,000-crore fraud investigation.

Choksi told a news outlet that his two-month stay in Dominica had left him with "permanent scars" on both his mind and body.

He stated that he was willing to work with agencies and that he had asked them to interrogate him in Antigua. Choksi also stated that his decision to return to India to "prove my innocence" has changed as a result of his recent experiences.

Choksi, who was sought in India for a bank fraud case of Rs 13,500 crore, unexpectedly vanished on May 23 in Antigua and Barbuda, where he had been living after escaping India.

On May 24, following a suspected romantic trip with his rumoured girlfriend, he was imprisoned in the neighbouring island country of Dominica for illegal entry.

His lawyers claimed that on May 23, he was kidnapped from Jolly Harbour in Antigua by officers dressed in Antiguan and Indian attire and taken to Dominica aboard a boat.

Choksi had included his medical records in his bail application in Dominica, including CT scan findings that revealed "mildly worsening hematoma"

A neurologist and a neurosurgery specialist must evaluate his medical status immediately, according to the physicians.

"The services are not currently available on the island. All courtesies extended to him would be greatly appreciated," the CT scan report dated June 29 signed by Doctors Yerandy Galle Gutierrez and Rene Gilbert Veranes of Princess Margaret Hospital of Dominica said.

The high court granted Choksi's request to return to Antigua for treatment based on medical findings.