(Mehul Choksi - file image:x.com/thokojei)
While welcoming the arrest of fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam whistleblower Hariprasad SV said that it will be difficult for India to get Choksi back home, citing his access to top legal resources in the country.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Hariprasad recollected how Choksi was managed to escape legal proceedings when he was detained in Dominica. “Extradition is not an easy task. Choksi’s wallet is full, and he will employ the best lawyers in the Europe to avoid the process like what Vijay Mallya has been doing. I don’t think it is going to be easy for India to get him back,” the ANI quoted Hariprasad, as saying.
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Adding further, he said that when Choksi caught in Antigua and other islands, with the help of legal team he was able to get out of it.
But I wish and hope that this time, the Indian government will succeed, he said.
He further said that Choksi had cheated at least 100 franchise owners, many of whom had registered legal complaints against him in different parts of India.
“Even I got his arrest warrant from Bangalore police, but nothing really happened as he was smart enough to get away from the clutches of law,” Hariprasad added.
He also said that though the legal system in the country is “undoubtedly very great,” the extradition process depends on the country we are dealing with. Since Choksi has so much money, the case is not going to be easy, he stressed.
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It was in July 26, 2016, Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Hariprasad had written to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), expressed concerns about a potential large-scale scam. He argued that the balance sheets hinted indicators that something was wrong.
In 2015, Hariprasad had booked a complaint with the Bengaluru Police concerning Choksi and his group companies after he was allegedly cheated by them, Hindustan Times reports. Following, he wrote to several federal agencies, including ED, CBI and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), ministry of corporate affairs and then the PMO in 2016.
