Denying him access to legal protection breach of human rights, says Mehul Choksi's Dominican lawyer
May 27, 2021
By Ashoke Raj
Saint John's (Antigua)/New Delhi (India), May 28 : Mehul Choksi's lawyer in Dominica Wayne Marsh said that the fugitive diamantaire is entitled to a legal representation and denying him the access is a breach of his human rights.
"...First of all, Choksi is entitled to a legal representation while he is in Antigua or Dominica. The fact is that he is an Antiguan citizen an not an Indian citizen. I have heard Prime Minister of Antigua Gaston Browne said on air this morning that he has instructed the Dominican government to essentially... (I will put in this way) essentially take Choksi to India because if he be returned to Antigua he would have the constitutional protection which he would be entitled to," Marsh told ANI over phone.
Terming it a "travesty of justice", Marsh added that the whole nation needs to speak out and as a lawyer they would do whatever they can to stop the abuse of Choksi.
"It is a breach of his human rights, it is a breach of his constitutional rights as well and its must end now. We will do whatever we can to save him who is very fearful for his life. He is not able to speak to his family, including his wife, brother, and sister," the lawyer added.
The lawyer added that Choksi approached him because he was the only person the diamantaire could speak to since he was abducted from Antigua.
"One instruction from my client is that this matter deserves a serious public attention and as a lawyer we will do whatever we can to have him receive the legal protection that he deserves," Marsh further said.
Marsh also said that they were denied access to their client and it was only on May 27 that he was finally given access to speak to Choksi.
"I noticed that he was severely beaten, his eyes were swollen and had several burnt marks on his body. He reported to me that he was abducted at Jolly Harbour in Antigua and brought to Dominica by persons whom he believed to be Indian and Antiguan police on a vessel he described to be about 60-70 feet in length," Marsh told ANI.
Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are wanted in India for allegedly siphoning off Rs 13,500 crore of public money from the state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) using letters of undertaking.
