A day after Antigua claimed to have received no adverse information against fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, raising several questions about the alert levels of Indian agencies, Mumbai Police on Saturday admitted that a police verification certificate was issued last year by the Regional Passport Office for the Punjab National Bank fraud co-accused. However, the police pointed out that Choksi was given a clean chit as no "criminal antecedents" were found against the diamantaire at the time of the application. In a statement issued late evening, Mumbai Police said Choksi, who is wanted in the Rs 13,578-crore fraud case along with nephew Nirav Modi, was issued an Indian Passport under the tatkal category. "As no Police Verification Required status was granted by RPO, Mumbai, no PVR was generated from Mumbai Police," the statement read. Read | Ten months before he fled, Mehul Choksi got Mumbai passport office OK for Antigua Police also said that since Choksi was not arrested in any case at the time of passport verification, no criminal antecedents against him were reflected in the system. "On 10/03/2017, Malabar Hill Police Station submitted a clear report i.e no criminal antecedents against Mr. Mehul Choksi, after checking the Criminal Antecedents and Information System used in the Mumbai Police Commissionerate for checking the criminal record of an applicant in its jurisdiction. The system will only reflect the applicant's name if he has been arrested in any offence," the statement said. "On 14/03/2017, Passport Branch, SB-II, CID, Mumbai had forwarded the said report to RPO, Mumbai," the release added. Read | Rahul Gandhi accuses Modi govt of giving ‘clean chit’ to Mehul Choksi Ordering a probe into the police verification certificate, Mumbai Police said, "The Mumbai Police is also examining its internal process involved in the criminal antecedent's verification process to improve the existing system." The clarification from Mumbai Police came in the wake of a report by a local media in the Carribean nation that said according to Antiguan authorities, Choksi’s application for citizenship in Antigua in May 2017 was accompanied with clearance from the local police as required by norms. “The said 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,” the report by Daily Observer said.
