London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

No Reliable Information That Mehul Choksi Has Fled, Says Antigua PM

No Reliable Information That Mehul Choksi Has Fled, Says Antigua PM

Antigua and Barbuda PM Gaston Browne said it's very likely that Mehul Choksi is still in the country and that authorities are trying to locate him.
Fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, wanted in a ₹ 13,500 crore loan fraud in Punjab National Bank, has gone missing in Antigua and Barbuda where he has been staying since January 2018, his lawyer and the Royal Police Force of the Caribbean island nation said.

The country's Prime Minister Gaston Browne has said he has "no reliable information till date" that Mr Choksi has fled the country and it was very likely that he was still in Antigua and Barbuda.

In a statement to the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda, Mr Browne said authorities were "collaborating" with the Indian government, neighbouring countries and international police organisation to try and locate Mr Choksi.

"Someone from his household indicated that he is missing. Since then, Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda put out a statement to that effect. That statement will be shared with the Interpol," he said.

Mr Browne said Mr Choksi has two cases against him in courts of Antigua and Barbuda -- extradition and revocation of citizenship -- for which he has brought in a celebrated lawyer from the United Kingdom to represent him and this showed his willingness to stay and contest the cases.

"I do not believe that law enforcement or anyone would have contemplated Mr Choksi would have fled the country. In any case we do not have any reliable information to date that he has fled the country. It is likely he may be still here and law enforcement is utilising all the efforts including all intelligence to try and locate Mr Choksi," he said.

Prime Minister Browne also downplayed "speculation" that Mr Choksi had fled to Cuba as no aircraft with a flight plan having him as passenger has left the country, leaving the only option of travelling by boat. It is "unlikely" that he had reached Cuba in 36 hours by boat, he said.

"Law enforcement continuing to collaborate with regional and international police so he is located just in case he has absconded. I maintain Mr Speaker that we do not have any reliable information to date that he has absconded," Mr Browne said in his statement to the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda.

The businessman was last seen on Sunday in his car. Police recovered the vehicle after a search but Mr Choksi could not be found, a statement from the Antiguan police said on Monday night India time.

His lawyer Vijay Aggarwal confirmed that Mr Choksi has been missing since Sunday.

"Police in Antigua have started search operations for him. The family is worried about his safety. We are keeping a watch on developments," Mr Aggarwal told PTI on Tuesday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing allegations against Mr Choksi, is verifying the reports through "formal and informal" channels, including the Interpol that has issued a red corner notice against him on a request from the agency, officials here said.

The statement from the Antiguan police, which launched a missing person operation on Sunday, carries a photograph of the businessman and seeks information from the public.

"The police are investigating a Missing Person Report made of 62-year-old Mehul Choksi of Jolly Harbour. Mehul was reported missing on Sunday 23rd May 2021 at the Johnson Point Police Station," it said.

Antiguanewsroom, a local media outlet, quoted Commissioner of Police Atlee Rodney as saying that the police is "following up on the whereabouts of Indian businessman Mehul Choksi", who is "rumoured" to be missing.

The media reports said Mr Choksi, who had taken citizenship of the island nation, was seen driving in the southern area of the island on Sunday.

Mr Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are wanted for allegedly siphoning ₹ 13,500 crore of public money from the state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) using letters of undertaking.

While Mr Modi is in a London prison after being repeatedly denied bail and is contesting his extradition to India, Mr Choksi took citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in 2017 using the Citizenship by Investment programme before fleeing India in the first week of January 2018. The scam came to light subsequently.

Both are facing a CBI probe.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×