Mehul Choksi cites threat made on TV debate, wants warrant cancelled

Jeweller Mehul Choksi on Friday moved the special CBI court requesting it to cancel the non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against him citing a threat to his life if he returns to India. The jeweller cited a television debate where two callers suggested eliminating him once he is brought back as cause for his apprehension.
Choksi’s lawyer Rahul Agrawal submitted a plea before the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court for cancellation of the warrant issued by it.
Apart from threat to his life, the plea mentions the other issues raised by Choksi in his previous application, which is still pending before the court.
Choksi, who is wanted in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, claimed that “he was shocked” to watch a debate on a national news channel where two people called to share their opinion on the fraud. The callers, as stated in the plea filed by Choksi, suggested that “a special team be formed to track Choksi and shoot him to death once he is brought back to India”. Choksi further claimed that the anchor or the moderator did not object to such suggestions, which he claimed is a cause of his apprehension.
The special court has now directed the CBI to file its reply by October 3, which is the next date of hearing in the case. In his previous plea, Choksi had cited “trend of mob lynching” as cause of his apprehension.
He claimed that he feared that if he returned to India, he might become a victim of such lynching.
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No immediate measures have been initiated by the authorities to check the stinking brackish blushing water flowing from the Harike barrage near here into Rajasthan and Ferozepur feeder canals even after over a decade of the polluted water making its way to agricultural fields and homes, resulting in crop losses and health problems among residents of Punjab and adjoining Rajasthan that receive the water supplied by it.
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Truck driver beaten to death; three youths booked for murder
A truck driver was allegedly beaten to death by three youths on Sunday after the victim, Inder Harpal Singh of Patiala's vehicle grazed their car in Faridkot city. SHO Sandeep Singh said that the investigation has found that the victim, Inder Harpal Singh of Patiala, was beaten to death by the accused after a small accident at 9:30 pm on Sunday when he was on his way to Faridkot city from Sangrur to deliver packages.
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Stop befooling farmers on moong procurement: SAD to CM Mann
The Shiromani Akali Dal on Sunday asked Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann not to befool the farmers with announcements that their moong crop would be procured when the Centre has only agreed to buy 4,585 tonnes of the pulse, amounting to only 10-15% of the anticipated production. In a statement here, SAD kisan wing president Sikander Singh Maluka said Punjab was set to produce 4.75 lakh tonnes of moong.
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Ferozepur division manager inspects Ludhiana railway station
Ferozepur Division manager Seema Sharma on Sunday conducted an inspection at the Ludhiana Railway Station. She also met a few railway union leaders and held a meeting with senior officials of the Ludhiana station. Senior divisional mechanical engineer and commercial manager Sudeep Singh also checked the operations at the station. Though senior officials termed it as a surprise visit, the Ludhiana railway staff, including the station director, were already aware of the checking.
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Hold DSR paddy sowing for few days: PAU to farmers
Punjab Agricultural University experts have advised farmers, who are preparing to sow paddy using the DSR method, to put the sowing process on hold for few days to avoid crop damage due to the inclement weather predicted across the state during the period. The PAU issued the advisory following a warning from the meteorological department that strong winds followed by rain were expected across Punjab on May 23 and 24.