Treat Mehul Choksi as a citizen, says Antiguan opposition party 

The United Progressive Party (UPP) one of the opposition parties in Antiguan parliament urged the country's Prime Minister Gaston Browne to treat fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi as an Antiguan citizen, as per local media.

The demand from the party came after Prime Minister Browne asked the Dominican government to send Choksi to India.

Mehul Choksi is wanted in India over his role in Punjab National Bank scam. Choksi along with his nephew Nirav Modi committed as Rs 135,000 million loan fraud.

UPP said that since Choksi is an Antiguan citizen, he is entitled to due process of law.

Choksi was arrested in Dominica earlier this week. Late on Saturday night (Indian time) some photos of Mehul Choksi emerged in which there appeared to be bruises on his face.

On Thursday night, Choksi`s lawyer Vijay Agarwal had told IANS that Choksi was forced to get into a vessel from Antigua and was taken to Dominica. He also claimed that there were marks on Choksi`s body, implying the use of force.

"There is something fishy and I guess it was a strategy to take him to another place so that there are chances of sending him back to India. So I don`t know what forces are operating. The time will tell," he had said.

However, Antigua Police Commissioner Atlee Rodney has rubbished the claims of Choksi`s counsel and said that they have no information on him being forcefully removed.

(With inputs from agencies)