Mumbai: Eight years since the Enforcement Directorate moved an application to declare Mehul Choksi as a fugitive economic offender, the special court is likely to give its order on the plea by the next week. The court on Tuesday refused to grant any further adjournment to Choksi's lawyer for further arguments.
Court Refuses Further Delay In Long-Pending Proceedings
The special judge Subhash K. Karhale, while refusing to adjourned the hearing said, "This being a criminal miscellaneous application cannot be kept pending for further years together when about 7-8 years are already lapsed." The court has now closed the arguments and reserved the application for orders.
The enforcement Directorate had in July 2018 moved a plea to declare Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi, fugitive economic offenders under the Fugitive economic offenders Act which allowed agency to confiscate properties linked to the accused even in abroad. While the Modi has been declared as fugitive, and the process to confiscate his properties is already in progress, ED's plea against Choksi remained pending.
Choksi’s Lawyer Seeks Adjournment Citing Lack Of Instructions
On Tuesday, the special court was scheduled to hear the arguments from Choksi's lawyer but he sought and adjournment saying that Choksi is lodged at Antwerp Prison (Belgium) and he is unable to provide instructions telephonically. The plea was opposed by ED's counsel Kavita Patil.
The court meanwhile, refused to accept the ground of adjournment and said, "once this matter was already argued before my predecessor and it is pending since the year 2018 for one or another reason and even so may applications are filed by the respondent but he failed to argue even as on today."
The court therefore said, "the conduct of the respondent to stay abroad since about the year 2018 and to flee away from the Court of justice clearly indicates that, he wants to prolong the matter when it is raised for hearing."
Choksi, the absconding diamond trader in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case is presently lodged in prison in Belgium. Choksi was arrested in Belgium on April 12, last year following an extradition request by Indian probe agencies for his alleged involvement in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam by obtaining letter of understanding through forged documents.
Choksi had left India on January 2, 2018, claiming he was seeking better medical treatment and never returned. Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case against Choksi and Modi in February 2018. Based on the case registered by CBI, ED too initiated the probe for money laundering.
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