Antigua And Barbuda: According to the sources, the issue of Indian jeweler Mehul Choksi’s extradition will be taken up by top legal officers in Antigua and Barbuda. Mehul Choksi is accused in the Punjab National Bank scam case along with his nephew Nirav Modi. But both of them are in foreign countries and are absconding. The attorney general Steadroy Benjamin said that Antigua and Barbuda’s said he is planning to discuss the matter of extradition of Choksi with the head of public prosecution of the island nation, Anthony Armstrong.

“We expect the DPP back shortly, if not by tomorrow, then certainly by Monday and as soon as he returns I intend to meet with him so we can discuss this extradition matter,” Mr. Benjamin was quoted as saying by the Antigua Observer newspaper.

India is putting its efforts to bring back Choksi from the island nation of Antigua by following the provision of a law of the country, which allows the extradition of a fugitive to a designated Commonwealth country.

A statement by Antigua and Barbuda’s prime minister’s office stated that the High Commissioner of India in Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam paid a visit to St. John’s for the third time in recent weeks to meet officials to discuss Choksi’s extradition.

The diplomat from India held a meeting with the Prime Minister of India Gaston Browne and applied for another extradition with modified charges to the prime minister, sources said. During the meet, he was assured the matter would be taken up and the related documents would be given to the DPP, who is not the country as of now, sources said.

Mr. Browne assured his government’s best support to the Indian authorities over the matter but said that an official course needs to be followed.

Earlier to that, the government of the island nation said that it would provide full cooperation on Mr. Choksi’s arrest but asserted that any kind of pressure would not be tolerated in this regard.

The Central Bureau of Investigation with the help of the foreign ministry had written a letter to Antigua seeking the arrest of the businessman.

Earlier this year, the Punjab National Bank officials detected the scam of Rs. 13,000 crore. In this regard, Mehul Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are held responsible with the accusation of misusing credit instruments of the bank.

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