'Withdrawing Red Corner Notice Against Mehul Choksi Faulty Decision’: CBI on Interpol Move

A day after the red corner notice against fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi disappeared from Interpol’s website, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday said it will appeal against the decision. The agency, which has been probing Choksi under fraud and corruption charges, said it was in “active communication with CCF – Commission for Control of Interpol’s Files – and other bodies within the international organisation in connection with this case”.

“Based on mere imaginary conjectures and unproven surmises, a five-member CCF chamber has taken a decision on deletion of the red notice, communicated in November 2022. Thereafter, the CBI has taken up with CCF the serious shortcomings, procedural violations, overreach of mandate and mistakes committed by CCF in the manner of reaching this unfounded and perfunctory decision,” a CBI spokesperson said.

The agency called the Interpol decision faulty and said the CBI was appealing against it. On Monday, the Interpol website withdrew the red corner notice (RCN) against Choksi. An RCN is meant to alert Interpol member countries about the presence of a wanted fugitive, which should be communicated to Interpol if the person is spotted.

Choksi’s last location was traced to Antigua and Barbuda. In a plea before the high court of Antigua, Choksi had alleged that agents of India’s external intelligence agencies had abducted him and “forcibly taken him to Dominican Republic in June 2021”.

“This false allegation made before the Antiguan high court became the basis of the CCF’s decision to withdraw the RCN. India is appealing against the high court order,” a CBI officer said.

The agency called Choksi’s appeal at Interpol “diversionary tactics” meant to stall his extradition from Antigua. In 2018, India had requested Antigua to extradite Choksi, who became a citizen of that country the same year.

India insists that the decision to withdraw the RCN will not impact the extradition process, which was in the “active stage of finalisation”.

Read all the Latest India News here