Mehul Choksi

Mehul Chinubhai Choksi (born 5 May 1959) is an Indian-born fugitive and businessman living in Antigua and Barbuda, who is wanted by the Indian judicial authorities for alleged criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and dishonesty including delivery of property, corruption and money laundering.

Mehul Choksi along with his nephew Nirav Modi, his wife Ami Modi, and brother Neeshal Modi are named in an alleged Rs 12,636 crore fraud at Punjab National Bank. In order to escape India after the scam, he secured the citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda, a Caribbean Island through their Citizenship by Investment Program in 2017. 

He was the owner of Gitanjali Group, a retail jewellery company with 4,000 stores in India.

An arrest warrant for Choksi has been issued in connection with the alleged Punjab National Bank fraud case. He was formerly the subject of an Interpol red notice, but this was withdrawn in 2023. He was allegedly involved in stock market manipulation in 2013. In late May 2021, he went missing from Antigua and Barbuda. Choksi claims that he was kidnapped from Antigua by agents of the Indian state, while several reports and investigation revealed that he fled the country to escape legal proceedings in India. After being found and arrested in Dominica on charges of illegal entry he was then returned to Antigua and Barbuda on interim bail for medical treatment. Investigations into his disappearance are ongoing.

According to NDTV, Mehul Choksi tried hard to spread his kidnapping narrative and evade extradition to India. In this attempt, he also allegedly brought a string of officials in Antigua to extend the court proceedings in his disappearance case in the country.

Again according to NDTV, evidence has also been uncovered that with others to influence Interpol and interfere into its proceedings to delay his extradition to India. Belgian authorities confirmed on April 14, 2025 that they have Mehul Choksi in custody after he was arrested near his current residence in Antwerp.