New Delhi, January 21: After fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi surrendered his Indian passport to the Antiguan authorities on Monday, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government may take some time to bring him back to India. "Our government has passed Fugitive Economic Offenders bill. Those who have fled, will be brought back. It might take some time but they all will be brought back", Singh was quoted by ANI.

India has been trying to pursue Choksi's return with Antigua through diplomatic and legal channels since a year. According to a tweet by ANI, Choksi surrendered his Indian passport to High Commission in Guyana. As per rules, whenever an Indian citizen acquires foreign nationality he's expected to surrender his Indian passport. Mehul Choksi Surrenders His Indian Passport to Antigua Authorities. 

Here's the tweet:

Choksi, a key accused in bank fraud cases at Punjab National Bank (PNB), had fled to Caribbean country Antigua and Barbuda in the first week of January 2018. A year later, he gave up his Indian citizenship ahead of extradition treaty hearing over the Punjab National Bank (PNB) Fraud and deposited his Indian passport to the Indian High Commission in Antigua today. i.e. 21st January 2019.

Choksi is accused of cheating state-run PNB to the tune of Rs 13,000 crore in alleged collusion with his nephew Nirav Modi. The billionaire diamantaire escaped to Antigua in the first week of January 2018. Choksi's Properties Are Money Laundering Assets: PMLA Authority. 

In July 2017, Antigua and Barbuda expressed reservation stating that the citizenship to Choksi was granted based on a Police Clearance Certificate issued by the Regional Passport Office, Mumbai and documents received from the Sebi in 2017. However, they assured us to relook at the request once the RCN is issued and now with the RCN in place, they have orally agreed to help the CBI in getting Choksi to justice. A team might be shortly visiting the twin Carribean island nation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 21, 2019 02:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).