The Enforcement Directorate has offered to provide an air ambulance and a team of medical experts to bring back fugitive Mehul Choksi from Antigua and provide him with all necessary treatment in India, reported ANI.
The ED submitted a counter affidavit to the high court stating, “The medical reasons and conditions appear to be facades being erected merely to mislead the court in an obvious attempt to delay the lawful proceedings.”
The central agency further stated that Choksi has never cooperated in the investigation into the Rs 13,000 crore PNB scam. It said, “Non-bailable warrant was issued against him. A Red Notice was issued by the Interpol. He has refused to return, he is therefore, a fugitive and an absconder."
In its rejoinder, the ED said that Choksi was given several opportunities to join the probe but he evaded questioning.
Choksi, currently based in the Caribbean nation of Antigua, filed an affidavit on 17 June through his advocate Vijay Aggarwal, stating he had left the country in January 2018 for getting medical check-up and treatment abroad.
“I have not left the country under suspicious circumstances,” the affidavit said.
Choksi filed the affidavit in connection with two petitions submitted by him in the high court seeking dismissal of an application filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a special court for declaring him a fugitive economic offender.
In his petition, Choksi said he is unable to return to India due to persisting health problems.
Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are wanted by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly defrauding the PNB to the tune of Rs 13,400 crore in collusion with a few employees of the government-run lender.
The multi-crore fraud came to light in early 2018.
(With inputs from PTI)
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