Mumbai: Dominica has stopped criminal proceedings against fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi. The legal victory for Mr. Choksi comes a year after a court in Dominica accused the wanted businessman of entering the country illegally.

Mr. Choksi had maintained that he was abducted by a group of individuals from his beach-side house in Antigua where he acquired citizenship in 2017.

“Mr. Choksi is pleased that the Dominican Government has today dropped all charges against him for unlawful entry in May 2021. By doing so they now recognise that there was never any case against him,” said a Spokesperson, representing Mr. Choksi.

The case also saw the tabling of an interim report on the incident by the Antiguan Police. The report has stated that Mr. Choksi’s version is correct.

Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi are wanted for defrauding banks in a scam amounting to more than a billion dollars. He hit the headlines last year when it was reported that a female friend had persuaded him to leave his house for a trip to Dominica.

The Spokesperson however accused the Indian government of playing a role in the alleged abduction which involved multiple operators and high-speed boats.

“Mr. Choksi was forcibly removed from Antigua against his will by agents of the Indian State, viciously assaulted, and taken to Dominica by boat, where he was again unlawfully handed over to authorities for an offence he never committed,” said the Spokesperson.

The Antiguan Police report has also supported the fact that the Indian businessman was indeed abducted from Antigua.