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Antigua says cannot revoke Mehul Choksi citizenship, was granted after India cleared him

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6 years ago

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Antigua says cannot revoke Mehul Choksi citizenship, was granted after India cleared him

Antigua has said fugitive Indian jeweller Mehul Choksi was given citizenship after “stringent background checks” and clearance certificate by Mumbai Police and India’s External Affairs Ministry.

At a meeting with representatives of the Indian High Commission, Antigua and Barbuda officials reportedly said that they couldn’t annul Choksi’s citizenship as that would violate their constitution, according to The Indian Express (IE).

However, they assured Indian officials that they might consider New Delhi’s extradition request once a Red Corner Notice (RCN) is issued against him.

In a statement reported in media, Antigua said Choksi was granted citizenship after a police clearance certificate from the government last year said there was “no adverse information” against him.

“The police clearance certificate from the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs Regional Passport Office, Mumbai, certified that there was no adverse information against Mr. Mehul Chinubbhai Choksi which would render him ineligible for grant of travel facilities including visa for Antigua and Barbuda,” said the statement by the Citizenship By Investment Unit (CIU) of Antigua and Barbuda.

The CIU said while conducting background checks on Choksi, it found that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had initiated investigations against him twice. But the cases, according to India’s market regulator, had been closed.

In a detailed statement, News18 reported, the CIU said the businessman’s application was received in May 2017 with necessary documentary requirements, including a police clearance certificate.

The CIU statement, shared by Antigua Observer newspaper on its website, said these facts were being made public “in an effort to provide clarity and address misinformation that has been circulating in the public domain”.

It said Choksi’s application was subjected to stringent background checks as is done with all applications submitted to the unit. These checks include open source Internet checks, Thompson Reuters World-Check, queries of various sanctions lists, engagement with regional and international intelligence agencies like Interpol as well as contracted third party due diligence providers.

“It was only after the results of all of these checks had been received and assessed that a final decision was taken on the application. In no instance was any derogatory information disclosed on the applicant.”

The statement said the CIU received documentation of two instances in which the SEBI, in 2014 and 2017, opened investigations on a corporate entity owned by Choksi.

“We requested updates on the status of the investigations and received documentary confirmation, issued by the SEBI, stating that in one case, the matter had been satisfactorily closed, and indicating in the other that there is not sufficient evidence to pursue the matter further.

“None of these matters is the subject of the current warrants issued by the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) in connection with the Punjab National Bank. It was also observed that a 2016 non-bailable warrant (against Choksi) was discontinued in October 2016.”

The CIU also dismissed a reported claim by the CBI that indicated that the Interpol had made no direct contact with the Antigua authorities on Choksi.

“The CIU maintains that this comment notwithstanding, that its background investigations do in fact include Interpol. Were there an active warrant for Choksi at the time his citizenship application was being processed, this information should have already been made available to Interpol, a notification of which would have been readily accessible by the CIU and its due diligence partners.

“Further, the warrant should have formed a part of the criminal records database in India and therefore declared in the police clearance certificate issued by External Affairs Ministry.”

The statement said the notice of the ongoing criminal investigation for defrauding the Punjab National Bank to the tune of Rs 13,500 crore against Choksi was first issued by Indian authorities on January 31, 2018.

“As such, these matters emerged well after the background vetting process which would have resulted in the August 2017 approval of Choksi’s application and his subsequent registration as a citizen in November 2017.”

It said the CIU had taken all reasonable steps to ensure that Choksi was a fit and proper candidate for the grant of citizenship as allowed under the Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship By Investment Act.

Choksi moved to Antigua from the US several weeks ago using an Antiguan passport. The revelation came from Antiguan authorities in response to a CBI diffusion notice (a request to Interpol for the arrest of a specific person) circulated to foreign countries through Interpol.

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Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, architect of India’s economic reforms, passes away at 92

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1 hour ago

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December 26, 2024

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Manmohan Singh

In a moment of national sorrow, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has passed away at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. The announcement was made by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, where Singh had been receiving treatment in recent days.

According to the statement released by AIIMS, Singh was found unconscious at his residence earlier today, December 26, 2024. “He was promptly administered resuscitative measures at home and brought to the AIIMS medical emergency at 8:06 pm,” the statement said. Despite all efforts to revive him, he was declared dead at 9:51 pm.

Manmohan Singh, who served as the Prime Minister of India for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2014, was a towering figure in Indian politics. His tenure is marked by his leadership in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. He was widely recognized for his calm and intellectual approach to governance, though it was his role as Finance Minister in the early 1990s that cemented his legacy as one of India’s most influential political figures.

Singh’s role in the landmark economic reforms of 1991, which included liberalizing India’s economy, reducing trade barriers, and opening the doors to foreign investment, is often credited with saving the country from economic collapse. These reforms transformed India’s economic landscape, setting the stage for its rapid growth in the subsequent decades.

In the wake of his passing, tributes poured in from across the political spectrum. Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Sonia Gandhi arrived at AIIMS soon after the news of Singh’s hospitalization became known. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party MP Rahul Gandhi, currently in Belagavi for a Congress Working Committee meeting, are en route back to Delhi, according to reports.

Singh’s death marks the end of an era in Indian politics. He is survived by his wife, Gurcharan Singh, and their three daughters. Known for his humble and dignified nature, Singh’s contributions to India’s economic transformation will continue to resonate for generations to come.

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Dust storm, light rain expected in Delhi-NCR today, heatwave conditions to abate

IMD claimed in a tweet that Thunderstorm dust with light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds with speed of 30-50 km/hr would occur over and adjoining areas of many places of Delhi, North Delhi, North East Delhi, North west Delhi, West Delhi, Central Delhi, East delhi and NCR( Loni Dehat, Hindon AF station, Ghaziabad, Indrapuram, Chapraula) Sonipat, Rohtak, Kharkhoda (Haryana) Baraut, Bagpat, Meerut, Khekra, Modinagar, Kithor , Garhmukhteshwar, Pilakhua, Hapur ,Gulaoti ,Siyana ,Sikandrabad , Bulandshahr ,  Jahangirabad (UP)

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2 years ago

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May 17, 2023

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Dust storm, light rain expected in Delhi-NCR today, heatwave conditions to abate

On Wednesday, a dust storm with light to moderate rain is expected in numerous locations in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The India Meteorogical Department (IMD) stated the city’s maximum and minimum temperatures are predicted to be in the range of 40 and 25, respectively.

The IMD tweeted an advisory that thunderstorms, dust with light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds with speed of 30-50 km/hr would occur over and adjoining areas of many places of Delhi, North Delhi, North East Delhi, North West Delhi, West Delhi, Central Delhi, East Delhi and NCR (Loni Dehat, Hindon AF station, Ghaziabad, Indirapuram, Chapraula) Sonipat, Rohtak, Kharkhoda (Haryana), Baraut, Bagpat, Meerut, Khekra, Modinagar, Kithor, Garhmukhteshwar, Pilakhua, Hapur, Gulaoti, Siyana, Sikandrabad, Bulandshahr, Jahangirabad (UP).

For the next two hours, light to moderate intermittent rain is expected over and near Adampur, Hissar, Hansi, and Meham (Haryana).

Read Also: Will ensure executive doesn’t turn blind eye: Supreme Court on Manipur violence

On Thursday, May 18, light rain is predicted for in Delhi based on the seven-day prediction for the city. The sky will mainly be cloudy, with the potential of a light  rain or drizzle, according to the weather office.

The air quality will continue to be deteriorated in the city after strong winds with dust swept across the Delhi-NCR on Tuesday. Following this, visibility had reduced to 1000 metres. Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of regional forecasting centre, said the dry atmosphere is one of the reasons for the dust storms.

Following Tuesday’s severe winds and dust storm that blasted across the Delhi-NCR, the city’s air quality had taken an alarming dip.

The monsoons, which are awaited across India, are likely to make landfall in Kerala on June 4. Usually, the monsoon arrives on May 31 or June 1 but the delay will be made up as the phenomenon progresses on its south-west to north-east arc. With extreme temperatures right from a cold sytart to May to dust-laden winds in mid-May, the weather in the country is paying the price for accelerating climate change.

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Security lapse at Navjot Singh Sidhu’s Patiala home, says it will not deter him from raising his voice against Punjab

After his release from jail, he slammed the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for its law and order in the state.

Published

2 years ago

on

April 17, 2023

By

Navjot Singh Sidhu

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has filed a complaint with the Punjab Police after he spotted a suspicious person wrapped in a grey blanket on his terrace. He alleged a security lapse at his Patiala home. He couldn’t catch him as he fled after his servant raised an alarm.

Taking to Twitter, Sidhu said, Today on the terrace of his residence an unknown suspicious character wrapped in a grey blanket was noticed around 7:00 pm, the moment his servant went out raised the alarm, and called for help, he immediately ran and escaped.

The 59-year-old further said that he has spoken to DGP Punjab Police and has also informed SSP Patiala. He said the security lapse will not deter him from raising his voice for Punjab.

Read Also: This is Punjab, not India: Girl with tricolour painted on face denied entry into Amritsar’s Golden Temple | WATCH

Punjab Police registered a case in this matter. According to the reports, the Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police Varun Sharma visited his residence after the complaint and is currently investigating the matter. The CCTV footage of the area is also being scanned, reports state.

Cricketer-turned-politician came out of the Patiala Central Jail on April 1 after serving nearly 10 months in a 1988 road rage case. After his release from jail, he slammed the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for its law and order in the state.

He said Democracy is in chains. Punjab is the shield of this country. When dictatorship came in this country, a revolution also came, led by Rahul Gandhi.

Sidhu also slammed the Mann government over the pruning of security of slain singer Sidhu Moosewala and also making it public.

Bengal teachers’ recruitment scam: Supreme Court stays Calcutta HC order on filing cases against CBI, ED officers; relief for Trinamool leader from questioning

Former MLA and BJP leader Neeraja Reddy dies in road accident in Telangana

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