Another intriguing development surfaced in the detention case of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi. The diamond trader’s wife has claimed that a mysterious woman whom Mehul Choksi met in 2020 is responsible for his current predicament. Choksi’s future lies in limbo as the authorities in Dominica, Antigua and India joust for his custody.
With Choksi currently facing charges of illegally entering Dominica from Antigua, the fugitive businessman’s wife, Priti, spoke about the woman who had allegedly laid the trap for her husband. “This woman, Barbara, laid a trap to bring him back to India. She entered our lives in August 2020 after she rented an accommodation opposite our house in Antigua. She led Mehul away from Antigua,” Priti said in an interview with the Times of India.
She further alleged that the boat which brought Mehul Choksi to Dominica is run by one Cobra Tours, whose owners, she contended were two Punjabi men.
“On Sunday, May 23, Mehul left home in a car to have dinner with Barbara. I don’t know what her real name is. Barabara Joseph, Barabara Jesseick or Barbara C? She stayed in the apartment next to ours intermittently. She had first met us last year between August 2-7,” Priti revealed.
Priti recalls Barbara requesting Mehul to pick her up from her residence. She said minutes later, eight to ten men barged into her house and whisked Mehul away.
Woman honey trapped Mehul Choksi
Earlier, reports had claimed that Choksi was honey-trapped by a woman who was possibly in cahoots with a team of men who abducted, tortured and conveyed him to Dominica. A report published in India Today quotes sources close to the fugitive businessmen to claim the woman was part of the team, which was involved in his “abduction, torture and arrest”.
Choksi had gone missing a few days ago from Antigua and Barbuda and was later traced to and arrested in Dominica. The fugitive diamantaire had alleged through his counsel that he was kidnapped from Jolly Harbour on May 23 and people having links with India were responsible for his abduction.
According to the report, the woman was staying in Antigua and had started meeting Choksi during morning and evening walks. She allegedly befriended Choksi and invited him to come over to her place on May 23. A team was lurking at her residence, waiting for Choksi to turn up. When he did arrive at the woman’s apartment, the group abducted him and spirited him away to Dominica, where he was arrested.
Mehul Choksi arrested in Dominica
Dominican authorities had arrested Choksi on Wednesday for entering the country “illegally” from Antigua and Barbuda, where he has been living since January 2018. The ‘missing’ ex-diamantaire was spotted in Dominica’s capital city of Roseau at the Canefield beach where he was disposing of some documents at sea. Police got suspicious and approached him. When he was asked about his purpose to visit Dominica, he refused to answer.
After Choksi was arrested in Dominica, it was speculated that he will be extradited to India. However, the hopes of repatriating PNB Bank scam accused Mehul Choksi to India was soon dashed as Dominica said that they will send him back to Antigua, not India
