Special envoy to UK ‘deliberate kidnap of tycoon on India’s orders’
A particular envoy to Britain ‘plotted’ the kidnap of a diamond tycoon within the Caribbean on the behest of the Indian state.
Gurdip Bath, who has been pictured with King Charles, allegedly hatched the extraordinary plan on British soil.
India-born Mr Bath, who lives in an £8 million Mayfair mansion close to the Ritz, is accused of flying with a gang from London to Antigua to abduct Mehul Choksi as a part of a honeytrap on Delhi’s orders, based on a court docket declare in Antigua and Barbuda.
Mr Bath – who has citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis and has acted as its business attaché to the UK for 11 years – strongly denies involvement.
He and his alleged associates are accused of deploying glamorous London-based property advisor Barbara Jarabik to lure Mr Choksi to an house close to his house in Antigua. There, he was pounced on by thugs claiming to be police, based on the court docket declare filed by Mr Choski.
The jewelry supplier, 64, says he was overwhelmed, tasered, sure to a wheelchair and loaded on to a yacht sure for Dominica.
Gurdip Bath (pictured, left), who has been pictured with King Charles (pictured, proper), allegedly hatched the extraordinary plan on British soil
Diamond tycoon Mehul Choksi says he was taken towards his will
He says he suffered critical accidents by the hands of the group of thugs that allegedly kidnapped him
The group allegedly employed property advisor Barbara Jarabik to lure Mr Choksi to an house close to his house in Antigua
He claims an Indian delegation flew in to deport him to his homeland the place he’s needed over a supposed £1 billion banking fraud.
But whistleblowers alerted his legal professionals who discovered him battered and bruised in a cell earlier than they secured his launch.
Mr Choksi is suing Antigua’s lawyer normal and police chief for not correctly investigating his abduction and bringing his assailants to justice after he suffered ‘inhuman or degrading therapy’.
The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court refused makes an attempt by Antigua to dismiss the declare and located Mr Choksi had an ‘controversial’ case in May.
The authorities lastly filed a defence final week detailing steps taken for the reason that kidnap and calling for the declare to be dismissed. A trial date is but to be set.
Now Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) is being known as on to analyze Mr Bath, 47, alongside together with his co-accused over alleged conspiracy to kidnap within the UK.
Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) is being known as on to analyze Mr Bath, 47, alongside together with his co-accused over alleged conspiracy to kidnap within the UK
This is the primary time Delhi has been accused of planning an extrajudicial abduction from the UK.
It comes after India was accused of masterminding the assassination of a Canadian Sikh chief, in Canada, in September. Delhi denies each allegations.
Michael Polak, of Justice Abroad, advised the Mail: ‘The NCA should examine and prosecute all of the people named in proceedings. To fail to take action would enable Britain to be a haven for these accused of worldwide felony exercise, encouraging state-sponsored kidnapping and homicide.’
Mr Choksi fled to the Caribbean and gained Antiguan citizenship after falling foul of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi who known as for his extradition in 2018.
Mr Bath holds nice sway within the area as a St Kitts diplomat with alleged hyperlinks to the premiers of Antigua and India.
He has claimed credit score for securing Covid vaccines for the Caribbean from Delhi and met then-Prince Charles in 2014 at a Commonwealth occasion.
But Mr Choksi’s authorized workforce have obtained flight manifests, CCTV, witness accounts and different information they are saying show Mr Bath and his accomplices dedicated the kidnapping after plotting collectively within the UK.
Court papers compiled by Edward Fitzgerald KC present information of Ms Jarabik, initially from Hungary, flying to Antigua within the week of Mr Choksi’s abduction in May 2021.
Mr Bath allegedly joined her after he touched down days later with co-accused Gurjit Singh Bhandal and Gurmit Singh – Indian mates who stay in West Bromwich.
Documents present Mr Singh and Mr Singh Bhandal then boarded the Calliope of Arne yacht.
Mr Choksi claims Ms Jarabik invited him to her house on May 23 the place he was ambushed and bundled on to the boat, tied right into a wheelchair.
On board, the lads allegedly acknowledged they have been ‘brokers’ of India’s Research and Analysis Wing, Delhi’s MI6, and threatened him at knifepoint.
They sailed to Dominica the place Mr Choksi was charged with unlawful entry. Dominica then pushed for his deportation to India till legal professionals received his launch again to Antigua on June 12.
Interpol has stated it was a ‘credible chance’ that his abduction ‘had the final word function of deporting the applicant to India’.
None of the people accused by Mr Choksi is a celebration to his case towards the Antiguan authorities, so can not file a proper response defending themselves.
However, they’ve all strenuously denied the claims. Mr Bath advised Indian media he had ‘not performed any position within the actions associated to Mehul Choksi and particularly his kidnap’. He stated he has ‘no affiliation with any Indian government-owned intelligence service’.
Ms Jarabik denied involvement and stated Mr Choksi was obsessed together with her. She stated she was with him however left a number of hours earlier than the alleged kidnap.
Mr Singh stated his presence within the area was ‘purely coincidental’ and branded the allegations as ‘baseless and pretend’.
He stated he was prepared to help the NCA and Antiguan authorities.
Mr Singh Bhandal stated he had been on a crusing journey and had by no means heard of Mr Choksi earlier than being accused, nor had they met Ms Jarabik.
