Mehul Choksi may have got bail in Dominica in July, but the fugitive fears he may be “kidnapped” again.
Choksi, who is an accused in the Punjab National Bank scam, had alleged he was kidnapped from near his home in Antigua, his country of residence, and taken to Dominica in May.
He had claimed the Indian government was involved in orchestrating his abduction, with assistance of authorities in Antigua and Dominica.
Choksi expressed his fears in an interview to ANI, which was published on Monday morning.
Choksi told ANI, “I may be coerced and kidnapped once again, and taken to Guyana, where there is a strong Indian presence, which may be utilised to spirit me away in an unlawful and illegal manner.”
Choksi claimed his experience of being taken to Dominica had affected his physical and mental health.
“I am currently confined to the limits of my house in Antigua; my poor health doesn't allow me to move anywhere else, and the traumatising experience I suffered at the hands of my Indian captors led to an irreversible degradation... I'm seeking help for the disastrous state of my mental health as I am consumed by constant fear, numbed by the shock of my experiences in the past few months. I am unable to step outside my house despite my doctors' recommendations and I seek to avoid the limelight at all costs now. My poor health doesn't allow me to go and do anything,” Choksi said.
Choksi said he was confident of winning legal battles in both Antigua and Dominica to avoid extradition to India. “My lawyers are fighting cases in both Antigua and Dominica and I have complete faith that I shall emerge victorious because I am an Antiguan citizen who was kidnapped, abducted and taken against my will to a different country... It is a matter of record the extent to which certain governments are willing to go to secure my presence, but I repose full faith in the legal systems of Commonwealth countries and I'm sure that justice will prevail in the end.”
Why Guyana?
The East Indian-Guyanese community constitutes the largest ethnic group in Guyana, a country in South America. According to the 2012 population and housing census, the East Indian-Guyanese comprised 39.8 per cent of the population of Guyana. The East Indian-Guyanese are descendants of labourers brought from India to the region by the British in the 1800s.
India's attempts to boost bilateral ties with Guyana have played on the common cultural heritage. Last month, Guyana's Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said his government could resume talks with India to sell crude oil.