Mehul Choksi was granted citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in 2017. (File)
Highlights
- Mehul Choksi used a paid citizenship programme of island nation
- He is wanted in a loan fraud case in India
- Investigators are also trying to get Nirav Modi to the country
India is moving ahead with its plan to bring back economic offenders from the West Indies, top government officials said. A long-range Air India Boeing plane has been commissioned to handle this mission. Officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will fly to the West Indies to bring them, the sources said.
Fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi and promoter of Winsome Diamonds, Jatin Mehta, have used a controversial paid citizenship programme provided by some island nations in the Caribbean.
Jatin Mehta became a citizen of St Kitts and Nevis some years ago, while Mehul Choksi got citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda. These islands provide visa-free travel to 132 countries.
Citizenship through investment has become popular among Indian economic offenders, investigators say. Lack of extradition treaties has made these islands a safe haven for India's fugitive uber rich.
Sources said Mr Choksi and his fraud-accused nephew Nirav Modi are the principal targets of this mission. Mr Choksi may be picked up in the Caribbean while Mr Modi may be sequestered on the return route from Europe where he is reportedly hiding, the sources said.
Dominica and St Lucia give citizenship and a valid passport for just $100,000, which is not very high for ultra-rich people on the run. Grenada gives passports for $200,000.