'No question of Mehul Choksi's deportation to India,' says fugitive diamantaire's lawyer

After Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne has said that fugitive Indian diamantaire Mehul Choksi could be sent back to India in the next 48 hours from Dominica, where he was found, Choksi's lawyer Vijay Aggarwal on Thursday (May 27) questioned the legality of Choksi's possible repatriation straight to India. 

Aggarwal was also doubtful of his client reaching Dominica from Antigua and Barbuda and said, "My understanding is that his reaching Dominica is not voluntary. So, I find something fishy that nobody seems to be at the moment looking into the fact that how exactly he reached Dominica," he said.

Citing Section 9 of the Indian Citizenship Act, advocate Aggarwal said, Choksi can only be deported to Antigua where he has legal citizenship. "The moment Mehul Choksi acquired the citizenship of Antigua he ceased to be a citizen of India. Hence legally as per the Immigration and Passport Act, Section 17 and 23, he can be deported only to Antigua," Aggarwal said in a statement on Thursday.