NEW DELHI: The Interpol is learnt to have withdrawn its Red Notice in opposition to fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, inflicting an obvious setback to Indian legislation enforcement companies’ efforts in extraditing the absconding diamantaire from Antigua.
Choksi, accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank of over Rs 13,000 crore, had not too long ago filed a petition within the Antigua excessive court docket accusing the Indian authorities and two Indian brokers of getting kidnapped him from Antigua and forcibly taking him to Dominican Republic in June 2021.

This incident and Choksi’s plea is learnt to have performed a task in swinging Interpol’s choice with its officers being of the view that followup motion (extradition to India) based mostly on the Red Notice could deprive Choksi of a good trial given the robust risk that the 2021 incident was an try and extract him, sources mentioned.
The issuance of the Red Notice, or an inner arrest warrant, in opposition to Choksi was a results of sustained efforts by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate because the Interpol had initially expressed its reservations after Choksi claimed he was being focused for political causes. However, it gave in as a purple nook discover had already been issued in opposition to his nephew and co-accused Nirav Modi. The discover was issued in direction of the tip of 2018 after a nod by the Commission for the Control of Interpol Files (CCF).
The Red Notice made Choksi a “fugitive” in 192 member nations and likewise restricted his visa-free journey to 32 nations on an Antiguan passport. The withdrawal of the discover, often known as Red Corner Notice or RCN, means Choksi can now freely journey throughout the globe. It is, nevertheless, assumed that he’ll proceed to remain in Antigua for the worry of deportation from different nations.

CBI officers refused to react to the Interpol choice. Sources, nevertheless, claimed that it wasn’t as huge a blow because the host nation was not extraditing him regardless of the Red Notice.
In his petition to the Antigua court docket, Choksi had claimed that on May 23, 2021, he was lured to satisfy a lady named Barbara for dinner and was taken hostage by a gaggle. “A hood was placed over his head after he was tied to a wheelchair and gagged… He was tortured before being wheeled into a small boat and was later transferred to Calliope of Arne (a Vincentian registered sailing yacht),” a criticism filed by him mentioned. He claimed he was taken to Dominica. On arrival at Portsmouth Harbour, a coast guard vessel took him ashore the place high-ranking cops had been ready to take him into custody. He was accused of getting into the nation illegally, the criticism mentioned.