Probe ordered into Choksi's 'clear report'

A day after Antigua and Barbuda had blamed Indian authorities, the Mumbai Police on Saturday initiated an inquiry into the police verification process vis-à-vis issuance of passport to diamantaire Mehul Choksi.

"An inquiry has been ordered in the matter of issuance of the police verification report. The Mumbai Police is also examining its internal processes involved in the criminal antecedents' verification process to improve the system," an official said.

Choksi (59), owner of Gitanjali Group, a retail jewellery company with 4,000 stores in India and his nephew Nirav Modi, are wanted by the authorities in the Punjab National Bank fraud case.

Choksi was issued an Indian passport on September 10, 2015, valid till September 9, 2025. The passport was issued under the Tatkal category.

As the "No Police Verification" required status was generated by the Regional Passport Office, Mumbai, a no police verification report (PVR) was generated by the Mumbai Police.

According to the Mumbai Police, on February 23, 2017, Choksi applied for getting a police clearance certificate (PCC) to the RPO, Mumbai.

On February 24, 2017, a personal particular form (PPF) was downloaded by the Malabar Hill police station for police verification.

On March 10, 2017, the Malabar Hill police station submitted a "clear report", ie, no criminal antecedents against Choski after checking the criminal antecedents and information system (CAIS) used in the Mumbai Police Commissionerate for checking the criminal record of an applicant under its jurisdiction.

"The system will only reflect the applicant’s name if he has been arrested in any offence," officials said.

On March 14, 2017, the Passport Branch, Special Branch-II, CID, Mumbai, forwarded the report to the RPO, Mumbai.