Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, who was held in Dominica after his mysterious disappearance from Antigua and Barbuda, could be handed over to authorities in India soon. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has said the island nation will not take him back and has also asked neighbouring Dominica to do so.

The 62-year-old Choksi, who is accused of defrauding India's public-sector Punjab National Bank (PNB) of almost Rs 13,600 crore, was missing for the last three days from Antigua and Barbuda of which he has been a citizen since early 2018.

Investigators had indicated that fugitive businessman had escaped to Dominica through boats probably en route to Cuba. With an Interpol lookout circular issued against him, Choksi was caught by the local Dominica police and is currently in the custody of the CID.

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister (PM) Gaston Browne told news agency ANI that Antigua will not accept him back. Browne said he has requested Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and law enforcement in Dominica not to return Choksi to Antigua where he has legal and constitutional protection as a citizen, the news agency reported.

Prime Minister Browne said that Choksi made a "monumental error" by fleeing the island. He confirmed that Choksi has two cases against him in Antigua courts— extradition and revocation of citizenship.

"The Dominican government is cooperating with the Antiguan and Indian governments. We have requested Dominican law enforcement agencies to not return him to Antigua, where he has legal and constitutional rights as a citizen. We specifically requested them to have Indian law enforcement agencies make necessary arrangements to have him returned directly to India," Browne told ANI.

PM Browne also spoke to WION and said, "Assuming no legal impediments, I believe within the next 48 hours Choksi could be perhaps in a private jet, you know, repatriated to India."

Choksi and his nephew, celebrity jeweller Nirav Modi, had fled from India in January 2018, weeks before the PNB scam surfaced. Later, it became known that he had taken citizenship of Antigua two months before the scam surfaced. He had applied for citizenship in November 2017 under the Antigua & Barbuda island nation’s Citizenship by Investment programme.

Meanwhile, Choksi's lawyer Vijay Aggarwal said that he has spoken to Choksi’s family, who are relieved about his whereabouts being known. He also said that efforts are being made to speak to Choksi to get a clearer picture that how he was taken to Dominica.

(Edited by : Ajay Vaishnav)