In a new twist, Mumbai Police claims Mehul Choksi's passport issued without police verification

Passport of Mehul Choksi was issued under the 'Tatkal` category on September 10, 2015.

MUMBAI: Adding a new twist to the ongoing political war over fugitive Punjab National Bank scam accused Mehul Choksi, the Mumbai Police on Saturday said that his passport was issued without police verification.

According to ANI, the Mumbai Police said that Regional Passport Office (RPO) had issued a passport to the absconding diamantaire Mehul Choksi after granting him a no 'Police Verification Required' (PVR) status.

It added that no PVR was generated for the passport, which was issued to him under the 'Tatkal` category on September 10, 2015.

An enquiry 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 antecedent's verification process to improve the existing system: Mumbai Police #MehulChoksi pic.twitter.com/SJF5jUhXSA — ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2018

The passport issued to Choksi is valid for 10 years, it said in an official statement.

The statement from Mumbai Police came a day after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said that a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) was issued on the basis of a clear PVR available on his (Choksi's) passport.

However, the Mumbai Police today said that Choksi applied for Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) to the RPO much later, after nearly one-and-a-half years - on February 23, 2017.

On February 24, 2017, the Malabar Hill Police downloaded the Personal Particular Form for police verification, prior to issuing the PCC.

On March 10, 2017, it submitted the PCC report of "no criminal antecedents against Choksi."

This was done after duly checking the Criminal Antecedents and Information System (CAIS) of Mumbai Police for checking the criminal records of any passport applicant within its jurisdiction.

"The system will reflect only if the applicant has been arrested in any offence," it said.

Four days later, on March 14, 2017, the Passport Branch of SBI-II, CID, forwarded its PCC report to the RPO.

On Friday, MEA spokesperson Kumar had said that all passport issuing authorities can issue a PCC if there is a clear PVR in the system, and in case there is no PVR, then a fresh PVR is obtained prior to issuance of a PCC.

"As the PVR of Mehul Choksi was clear in the system at the time of issuance of PCC, the process followed by the Passport Office, Mumbai was as per extant instructions," he stated, adding that the PCC was issued to Choksi in March 2017 for his travel to Antigua and Barbuda.

Choksi reportedly flew out of India from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on January 04, 2018.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed an FIR against him on January 31, and a fortnight later, in mid-February, the scam erupted after PNB admitted that it had been defrauded.

On February 23, 2018, the RPO Mumbai revoked Choksi's passport.

In the wake of controversies surrounding Choksi`s citizenship of Antigua, the Mumbai Police has now initiated an investigation into the process of issuing PVR and examining its internal processes involved in the criminal antecedents verification process to improvise the existing systems.

It is to be noted that a bitter blame game has erupted between the ruling BJP and the main opposition party Congress over Choksi's easy escape from the country.

Congress led by Rahul Gandhi has mad a barrage of attacks on the Narendra Modi government over its alleged patronage to the big bank loan defaulters and inaction in bringing them to book.

Rahul Gandhi's party has also given video proof alleging Modi government's complicity in Mehul Choksi and his relative Nirav Modi's escape.