Bombay HC questions ED on Choksi's citizenship

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court Thursday asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) about the status of diamond merchant Mehul Choksi's citizenship. Choksi, an accused in the Punjab National Bank scam, was arrested in Belgium last weekend and New Delhi is seeking his extradition to India.

The HC raised the query while hearing a petition filed by Choksi, challenging a lower court's order rejecting his application seeking cancellation of non-bailable warrants issued against him in a money-laundering case that the ED is probing.

The HC wanted to know whether Choksi is a citizen of Antigua or India. ED counsel Hiten Venegaonkar said he is having a dual citizenship, of India and Antigua.


Choksi's counsel, Vijay Aggarwal, refuted this, saying that he had surrendered the citizenship of India. The court posted the matter for hearing on May 2.