Interpol withdraws Red Notice against Mehul Choksi: Why's that?:

Interpol withdraws Red Notice against Mehul Choksi: Why's that? A case was registered against Mehul Choksi and others on 15.02.2018 for defrauding Punjab National Bank. The CBI has already filed two charge-sheets in the case against wanted criminal Mehul Choksi and others under Sections 120-B r/w 409, 420, 477A, 201 IPC and Sections 7 & 13(2) r/w 13(1)(c)&(d) of the PC Act, 1988. Mehul Choksi and others were thereafter the subject of five further criminal cases brought by the CBI in 2022 for cheating banks and other financial entities. CBI as National Central Bureau for INTERPOL had issued a diffusion to locate absconding criminal Mehul Chinubhai Choksi in February, 2018. The movements of the criminal were tracked by CBI in close direct coordination with foreign law enforcement agencies and he was geo-located to Antigua and Barbuda. Extradition request against Mehul Chinubhai Choksi was sent through diplomatic channels to competent authorities of Antigua and Barbuda in August, 2018. In 2018, wanted criminal Mehul Chinubhai Choksi sought the Commission for Control of INTERPOL's Files (CCF) and requested that the Red Notice not be published. The CCF is an independent organization within INTERPOL that is not controlled by the INTERPOL Secretariat and is mostly staffed by elected lawyers from various countries. CCF has investigated his request and consulted with CBI. CCF rejected Mehul Chinubhai Choksi's representation, and INTERPOL issued a Red Notice. On the request of the CBI and ED, INTERPOL issued a Red Notice against wanted accused Mehul Chinubhai Choksi in December 2018. This occurred following the CBI's geolocation of a wanted offender and the launch of an extradition request. The goal of an INTERPOL Red Notice is to locate a wanted individual and demand their custody, arrest, or restriction of movement for the purpose of extradition, surrender, or similar action. It should be emphasized that Mehul Chinubhai Choksi was previously located prior to the release of the INTERPOL Red Notice, and procedures were taken to extradite him. Although the fundamental goal of the Red Notice had already been met, it was kept in place as a preventative measure. To create distractions while the Extradition procedures against wanted criminal Mehul Chinubhai Choksi were progressing in Antigua and Barbuda, the subject Mehul Chinubhai Choksi approached several worldwide venues with totally fabricated and fictitious narratives. In 2019, wanted criminal Mehul Chinubhai Choksi approached the Commission for Control of INTERPOL's Files (CCF) again, requesting that the Red Notice be removed from INTERPOL's website. CCF had investigated his appeal, consulted the CBI, and dismissed the plea of wanted criminal Mehul Chinubhai Choksi in 2020 based on inputs. Faced with the prospect of imminent extradition from Antigua and Barbuda, wanted criminal Mehul Chinubhai Choksi approached various international forums and also CCF in July 2022 to revise its earlier decision of 2020 in order to create distractions from the ongoing process and derail the ongoing extradition proceedings, using false claims, concocted dramatic stories, and imaginary narratives. The CCF consulted the CBI and the ED on the subject, and the factual situation on the story of wanted criminal Mehul Chinubhai Choksi being utterly baseless and lacking an iota of evidence was presented to the CCF. It was clarified that the desperate wanted criminal Mehul Chinubhai Choksi has been making all possible attempts to derail ongoing extradition proceedings in Antigua and Barbuda, to evade the process of law in India. However, based on mere imaginary conjunctures and unproven surmises, a five member CCF chamber, has taken a decision on deletion of Red Notice, communicated in November, 2022. Thereafter, CBI has taken up with CCF the serious shortcomings, procedural violations, over reach of mandate and mistakes committed by CCF in the manner of reaching this unfounded and perfunctory decision. CBI continues to exercise available remedial and appellate options within INTERPOL for rectification of this faulty decision and for restoration of Red Notice. CBI has pointed out that even Antigua authorities consider there is sufficient evidence to substantiate that the applicant concealed material facts or made false representation when he applied for his Antigua and Barbuda citizenship, a fact which reflects on previous conduct of this criminal. CCF has subsequently clarified to CBI that its decision in no manner has any determination on any guilt or innocence of Mehul Chinubhai Choksi for crimes he remains charged in India. CCF has reiterated that it has not established factual certainties and there is no factual finding in their decision that Mehul Chinubhai Choksi will not have fair trial. Based on new information and serious errors in the decision, CBI is taking steps for the decision of CCF to be revised. CBI remains in active communication with CCF and other bodies in INTERPOL in an ongoing process relating to this case. It should be highlighted that an INTERPOL Red Notice is neither required nor pre-requisite for extradition procedures. The CBI's Global Operations Centre continues to actively track the movements of wanted offenders such as Mehul Chinubhai Choksi, working directly with foreign law enforcement organizations rather than relying solely on INTERPOL channels. India's extradition request is currently being considered by authorities in Antigua & Barbuda and is unaffected by Red notice-related discussions with INTERPOL. The CBI remains committed to bringing fugitives and offenders back to India to face criminal justice. In close collaboration with foreign law enforcement authorities, systematic procedures have been taken to locate and return sought criminals and economic offenders. Over 30 wanted offenders have returned to India in the previous 15 months.