ED offers to provide air ambulance to bring Choksi back

New Delhi, June 22 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday rejected a plea by fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi that he should be questioned in Antigua because of his health condition and said it can arrange air ambulance with medical experts to bring him back to India for interrogation in connection with the PNB fraud case.

Choksi, who is an accused in the case, has taken refuge in the Caribbean island nation of Antigua.

He has approached the Bombay High Court and said that he is willing to join investigation if his questioning was held in Antigua or via through video conferencing in the light of his medical condition.

But the ED rejected his plea and said that he has to return to India for questioning.

"Taking a humanitarian approach, the ED is ready to provide an expert medical team along with an air ambulance to bring the petitioner (Choksi) from Antigua to India under the proper medical supervision," the ED said in its counter-affidavit filed in the Bombay High Court.

Choksi has also said that he has left India for his medical treatment abroad and not to avoid prosecution in the case.

Countering his submission, the ED told the court that the best medical facilities are available in India and would be provided to Choksi if he returns to India.

The ED said that the agency's intention has never been to play with the health or life of any person, may he be an accused.

Choksi absconded after the Rs 14,000-crore PNB fraud came to light in January last year, whereby the primary accused were diamantaires Nirav Modi and Choksi himself.