'Unwell' Mehul Choksi Fails To File Medical Report, Tells Court Antigua Doctors Not Treating Him

Fugitive Diamond businessman Mehul Choksi, who is facing extradition to India from his current hideout in Antigua is back with his antics to delay the legal process.

Choksi on Monday told the Bombay High Court that he cannot submit his medical reports to civic-run JJ hospital in Mumbai, as directed by the court, because his doctor in Antigua has refused to treat him "due to some reason".

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"The doctor who was treating Choksi has refused to treat him due to some reason which we are submitting in a sealed report," his lawyer said.

At this, ED's advocate Hiten Venegaonkar requested the high court to dismiss Mehul Choksi's plea.

"The prosecution's plea seeking for Choksi to be declared as a fugitive economic offender is getting delayed because of these petitions filed in the high court," said ED's advocate.

In June this year, the Bombay High Court directed Mehul Choksi to submit his latest medical reports along with a letter from his doctor to a team of doctors at the JJ hospital. Choksi had earlier claimed that he was willing to come to India to face trial, but was unable to travel due to his persistent ill-health.

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Following this, the HC said that Choksi¡¯s main ground for not returning to India to face prosecution was that he was medically unfit to travel. However, when he was not submitting documents to support this claim, he should withdraw his petition. His lawyer Vijay Aggarwal agreed and withdrew the petition.

This is not the first time Choksi has used such tactics to delay the trial.

In June 2018, Choksi had claimed that he fears that he will be lynched if he returns to India to face trial.

Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi, who is currently in a London jail, are wanted by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation for allegedly defrauding the Punjab National Bank (PNB) to the tune of Rs 13,400 crore.

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In June, Choksi claimed in a petition filed in the high court that he had left India for medical treatment and not to avoid prosecution in the case. He had said he would return to India as soon as he is medically fit to travel.

The ED had then told the high court that it was ready to provide an air ambulance to bring Choksi back to India.