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

The jeweller cited a television debate where two callers suggested eliminating him once he is brought back as cause for his apprehension.

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.

Jeweller Mehul 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. (HT FILE PHOTO)

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.