Bombay HC orders JJ Hospital report based on Choksi’s medical case papers to determine his travel fitness

MUMBAI: Bombay high court on Monday directed Mehul Choksi’s medical case papers and reports, called for by his counsel Vijay Agrawal and be sent to government run JJ Hospital where HoD of Cardiaoligy will analyse and send a report to court on whether he is fit to travel to india.
A bench of Justices Indrajit Mahanty and A M Badar passed this order while hearing a petition filed by Choksi to challenge the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) demand to declare him a fugitive offender under the Fugitive Offender Act (FEO).The Centre is also willing to provide an air ambulance to bring him to India from Antigua. However, the high court directed the ED to consider Choksi’s plea to waive the red corner notice to enable him to travel to Miami from Antigua for treatment which is a much shorter flight.

The JJ report has to be submitted in a sealed cover by July 9 and the case papers to be received in an electronic form or via email to be sent to JJ on July 1. The next hearing on the matter is on July 10.
The ED counsel Hiten Venegaonkar said choksi was not coming back to India citing illness. The ED offered to provide provide Choksi with all necessary treatment in India and the court asked his counsel Agrawal to submit names of a hospital of choice, if he has any.
In an affidavit submitted before the high court, ED termed as "a facade" an affidavit submitted earlier this week by Choksi in which he claimed that due to his poor health condition he is unable to return to India.

"The medical reasons and conditions appear to be facades being erected merely to mislead the court in an obvious attempt to delay the lawful proceedings. We are ready to provide an expert medical team along with an air ambulance to bring him from Antigua to India under medical supervision," the ED had said.
Choksi is wanted in connection with the multi-crore PNB scam.