Mehul Choksi’s claim in a Dominica court that he was abducted by British nationals Gurjit and Gurmit Singh from Antigua & Barbuda on May 23 and siphoned off to the neighbouring island has been denied by the duo in an interview with Times Now.
The duo said they were sailing during their holiday in the Caribbean, claiming, they were victims of mistaken identity. They said they have been framed, adding, they never heard of anyone named Barbara Jarabica who Choski also alleged to be a part of the elaborate abduction plot.
The legal team of the Rs 13,578-crore PNB Bank scam-accused had alleged he was abducted by Indian and Antiguan agencies and illegally brought to Dominica in a bid to get him deported to India. The businessman claimed he was kidnapped from Antigua when he went to meet Jarabica. He named Gurjit and Gurmit Singh, Jarabica and one Narendar Singh in the alleged abduction case.
Responding to claims that the duo travelled from Antigua to Dominica at exactly the same time of Choksi’s abduction, they said, “we travelled in the morning while he (Choksi) was kidnapped in the evening, so he says”.
“We were in Antigua when all this happened. When we reached Dominica on the following morning, security personnel came to the boat to take our passports, searched the vessel and took photographs,” they further added.
When asked why they were in the Caribbean at the time, they said they were sailing as they were on a holiday.
The duo also said they had to quarantine on the boat before entering Dominica and later at the hotel after which they went to the hospital to get PCR tests done. It is to be noted that Choksi’s defence team had claimed that the alleged ‘hitmen’ were denied entry into the island nation
The duo also said that Dominican authorities wanted them to be quarantined for five days on the island so they decided to move ahead to St Lucia which is 93.15 nautical miles from Dominica. Choksi’s defence team while arguing for bail of their client in the illegal entry case had also accused the duo of human trafficking –charges which they also denied.
Choksi returned to Antigua in July after he was granted bail on medical grounds by the Dominican court. Choksi,
