Diamantaire Mehul Choksi, who fled India following the ₹13,500 crore PNB loan fraud, has been arrested in Belgium. After the arrest of Mehul Choksi, the Indian government has demanded his extradition, which experts say will not be possible soon. The Belgian Police took custody of Choksi, the second “prime suspect” in this case, on April 12 in Antwerp, based on an extradition request made by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The joint operation by Indian and Belgian law enforcement reportedly intercepted Choksi as he was preparing to flee to Switzerland under the pretext of seeking medical treatment. Along the whole tale of crime and suspense, reports also suggest that Mehul was honey-trapped by a Hungarian lady. There are also reports suggesting that Barbara was his girlfriend.
Who Was Barbara?
According to her LinkedIn profile, Barbara Jabarica is a “property investment agent” from Bulgaria. She describes herself as an experienced sales negotiator with experience working in direct sales and the real estate industry. Mehul’s wife Preeti alleged that she met Hungarian citizen Barbara Jabarica in 2020 and alleged that she was part of the honeytrap scheme. However, there are also reports that during Mehul Choksi’s arrest in Dominica, the agency had received inputs that he had fallen in love with Barbara Jabarica.
How Did Barbara React?
Barbara Jarabica completely rejected this story of Mehul Choksi. Barbara Jarabica said that Mehul Choksi himself had approached her in August 2020, and during this time, he had told his name as ‘Raj’. Barbara Jarabica revealed that she often met ‘Raj’, but she had no idea that he was a fugitive from India and an economic offender. Barbara had said that “I have my income and business. I do not need his cash, help, hotel bookings, fake jewellery or anything.”
Apart from this, Barbara Jarabica had revealed at that time that Mehul Choksi had given her very expensive gifts, including diamond bracelets and rings. But later it was found that all of them were fake. Barbara had revealed at that time that Choksi had tried to garner sympathy in his kidnapping story by dragging her name.
What Choksi Said
Choksi claimed that Barbara befriended him under false pretexts and invited him to dinner just before the alleged kidnapping. He said she arrived, and immediately afterwards, people forcibly took him away along with her. Choksi also alleged that Barbara did not attempt to help him while others beat him and put him on a watercraft to transport him from Antigua and Barbuda to Dominica. He also said that Barbara’s behaviour indicated that “she was an integral part of this whole plan”.
Where did Mehul Choksi go after fleeing India? When and how was he caught
Mehul Choksi fled from India in 2018. He then appeared in Antigua and Barbuda, where he had acquired citizenship through investment. After this, he remained off the radar for several years, but in May 2021, he was caught for illegal entry into the Dominican Republic. However, he was released after being in jail for a few days.
