On Mehul Choksi, CBI to seek reinstatement of Interpol red notice

In a press release on Tuesday, the CBI said that as the National Central Bureau for INTERPOL, it had issued a diffusion to locate absconding criminal Mehul Chinubhai Choksi in February 2018. "The movements of the criminal were tracked by the CBI in close direct coordination with foreign law enforcement agencies and he was geo-located to Antigua and Barbuda," it said.

The agency added that the extradition request against Mehul Choksi was sent through diplomatic channels to the authorities of Antigua and Barbuda in August 2018.

Clarifying on the purpose of a Red Notice being withdrawn by INTERPOL, the CBI said the notice "is to seek the location of a wanted person and to seek their detention, arrest or restriction of movement for purpose of extradition, surrender or similar action".

However, the primary purpose of Red Notice was already achieved. The CBI said Choksi was already "located prior to publication of INTERPOL Red Notice" and steps were also taken for his extradition. Despite this, the notice "was retained as a precautionary measure".

Several speculations were raised as to why Interpol withdrew the red notice against Choksi. Reports cited sources claiming that Choksi’s allegations that an attempt had been made to kidnap him from Antigua in May 2021 and repatriated to India may have gone against the CBI.

However, defending his position, the CBI said that based on "mere imaginary conjunctures and unproven surmises", a five-member CCF chamber, took a decision on the deletion of Red Notice that was communicated in November 2022.

"As the Extradition proceedings against wanted criminal Choksi were proceeding in Antigua and Barbuda, to create diversions, the subject Mehul Choksi had been approaching various international forums with fully concocted and imaginary narratives," the CBI said in the release.

The CBI further informed that the Commission for Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) has clarified that its decision "in no manner has any determination on any guilt or innocence of Mehul Chinubhai Choksi for crimes he remains charged in India".

Now, "based on new information and serious errors in the decision, CBI is taking steps for the decision of CCF to be revised", the agency said.