‘Can’t travel 41 hours to India’, Mehul Choksi tells court

Absconding diamantaire Mehul Choksi on Tuesday told a court in India that, owing to his poor health, he would not be able to withstand a 41-hour long journey from Antigua.
Choksi is wanted by investigating agencies in India for loan fraud. He and his nephew, Nirav Modi, fled the country in the first week of January after their companies were found cheating the state-run Punjab National Bank of Rs 13,000 crore.
Choksi, in his written reply, apprised the court about his willingness to join the investigation through video conferencing.
In his submission, Choksi accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of misleading the probe by deliberately not sharing the details of his health condition.
The fugitive businessman in his 34-page long reply also underscored that he is in constant touch with the PNB banks to settle the issue.
Choksi was granted citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda last year and he took the oath of allegiance to that country on January 15 this year.
The ED has urged the court to declare Choksi a fugitive economic offender and seize his properties.