The Dominican government has declared fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi a prohibited immigrant. The development is expected to strengthen India's case. The order was issued by the Ministry of National Security and Home Affairs.
"In accordance to section 5(1)(f) of the Immigration and Passport Act Chapter 18:01 of the 2017 Revised laws of the Commonwealth of Dominica, you, Mr Mehul Chinubhai Choksi, are hereby declared a prohibited immigrant," the order, as seen by India Today, stated.
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"You are, therefore, not permitted to enter the Commonwealth of Dominica and the Chief of Police has been instructed to take all the necessary actions to have you repatriated," added the order, dated May 25, 2021, signed by Dominican minister Rayburn Blackmoore.
Sources further stated that the document was part of a submission made by the Dominican authorities before the court considering which the public prosecutor appealed to the HC to turn down Mehul Choksi's appeal and deport him to India.
Wanted in Rs 13,5000 crore PNB Bank fraud case, Mehul Choksi had mysteriously gone missing on May 23 from Antigua and Barbuda, where he has been living as a citizen since 2018.
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The fugitive businessman was arrested in the neighbouring island country of Dominica on the charge of illegal entry.
Choksi's lawyers claimed that he was kidnapped from Jolly Harbour in Antigua by the cops looking like Antiguan and Indian, and brought to Dominica on a boat.