Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi’s lawyer filed an application on Friday before the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court citing “medical reasons” for not returning to India to appear before it for his role in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud.
Through his advocates, Mr. Choksi filed an application that says, “The court should not have issued a non-bailable warrant as the accused [Mr. Choksi] is medically unfit and is not in a position to travel.”
A detailed medical history of Choksi’s ailments was submitted to the PMLA court. Placed on record were 38 documents, including latest prescriptions and certificates. Choksi has also submitted a medical certificate dated February 27, 2019 by ‘Dr. H.A. Morcos, MD, PhD, St John’s, Antigua’, who examined him and said, “It is highly recommended that Mr. Choksi be under continuous medical supervision in Antigua and avoid travelling.”
The application reiterated: “Mr. Choksi has never refused to come back but could not travel because of his medical conditions. He has submitted his coronary angio, whole spine screening MRI, echocardiology and colour doppler, xray of both knee joint and chest xray, ultra sound of abdomen and pelvis, nerve condition study.”
The application says Choksi has chronic pain in the right leg, a blood clot in the brain that was treated medically, and a long history of diabetes mellitus treated with insulin and metformin. The advocates said Choksi has a long history of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.
Previously, Choksi had filed an application that said, “there is fear of his life and safety as violent threats are illustrated by the burning of his effigy” and he feared mob lynching.
