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Mehul Choksi, the fugitive jeweller wanted by Indian investigators, has alleged that he was kidnapped and beaten by men who claimed to be Antiguan police in a police complaint filed by his lawyers in Dominica, where he is jailed.
He has also named Barbara Jabarica as the mystery woman who trapped him and helped in the "kidnapping".
Choksi also claims he was told that he was kidnapped and taken to Dominica to give an interview to a "high-ranking Indian politician".
"They told me my citizenship would be fixed in Dominica and soon I would be repatriated to India," he said in a five-page complaint.
Choksi said he had known Barbara for the past year but suspects she was involved in his abduction because she "did not try to help".
"I used to go for walks with her," he said.
"On May 23, 2021, she requested me to pick her up from her house. When I reached her residence at 5.15pm she invited me in and indicated that she wanted to finish her wine."
He then alleged that he was kidnapped by eight to 10 "heavily muscled" men, who initially claimed they were from the Antiguan police.
The men overpowered him and kept beating him and tasered him on his face, hands and skin, causing burns, Choksi claimed.
He also alleged that they took his mobile phone, Rolex watch and wallet.
Choksi added that he was moved from a small boat to a bigger boat, where he met "Indian agents".
"I could see two Indians on board and three persons of Caribbean descent," he complained. "The Indian men seemed highly experienced mercenaries or contractors hired specially for this purpose.
"They told me they had been watching me for over a year. Another man asked me about my finances and offshore accounts. They warned me of dire consequences if I did not cooperate."
Choksi added that he was made to speak to one Narinder Singh, who claimed to be in charge of the case.
He also named another "Indian officer", Gurmit Singh.
Choksi was reported missing by his family on May 23 from Antigua and Barbuda, where he has been staying since 2018.
He was caught in neighbouring Dominica and detained after what the media reported as a romantic escapade with his rumoured girlfriend.
But the businessman filed a kidnapping complaint with the Antiguan police on June 2.
Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Browne said on Monday that, if the claims were true, it was a serious matter. The Antiguan police are investigating.
Choksi has also approached Dominica's High Court for bail. Earlier, the court denied him bail citing the severity of the case and him being a flight risk. The next hearing is listed for today.
Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi fled India in the first week of 2018, weeks before the Rs13,500 crore ($2.45 billion) Punjab National Bank scam rocked the Indian banking industry.
The two allegedly bribed the officials of the state-run bank to get letters of undertaking on the basis of which they secured huge loans from overseas banks, which remain unpaid.
Indo-Asian News Service
