A UK court has ruled that fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi failed to provide concrete evidence to support his claim that he was kidnapped from Antigua by Indian agents in 2021.
In an order seen by Times Now, Justice Mansfield said Choksi’s allegations were largely based on circumstantial material and lacked independent witness testimony. The judge noted that there was no direct evidence of the alleged kidnapping and assault beyond Choksi’s own account.
While acknowledging that circumstantial evidence can be relevant in conspiracy cases, the court said it was too early to assess the strength of the claims without fuller examination. The judge ordered Choksi to provide security for legal costs totalling £600,000.
Choksi’s lawyer, Mr Fitzgerald KC, argued that such an order would be unjust, insisting there was strong evidence of a conspiracy involving the defendants to abduct and forcibly return Choksi to India. The court was not persuaded.
The ruling relates to a lawsuit filed by Choksi in May 2024 against the Government of India, four non-resident Indians and a Hungarian woman. Choksi, an Antiguan and Barbudan citizen by investment, alleges he was abducted in Antigua, assaulted and taken by boat to Dominica.
The court said documents relied on by Choksi, including an Antiguan police report and a statement from a private investigator hired by his family, were based largely on second-hand accounts rather than direct evidence. It also noted that the police investigation in Antigua did not progress beyond an initial report.
Justice Mansfield referred to previous decisions by courts in Belgium, which also found no evidence to support claims that Choksi was abducted by agents acting for the Indian government.
The UK proceedings are continuing, with the costs order presenting a significant financial challenge for Choksi as the case moves forward.
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This case has dragged Antigua and Barbuda’s name into international controversy for years. It’s frustrating to see our citizenship programme tied to endless legal drama.
At some point we have to accept what multiple courts are saying. If there was solid evidence of kidnapping, it would have surfaced by now. Circumstantial stories can only go so far.
What bothers me is how much of this case rests on second-hand reports and paid investigators. If a kidnapping actually happened, where are the independent witnesses?
Too many contradictions since 2021.
When our local court comes up with the same judgement all of the political spinners claim our judges are corrupt and in the pocket of the politicians. What are they saying now.
Choksi should be on his way to India soon to face the music.
An exoneration doesn’t mean that an infraction never happened. The court never expected Choksi to call the two Kingpins as witnesses.