A UK court has found that fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi presented no concrete evidence to support his claim that he was kidnapped from Antigua by Indian agents in 2021, while ordering him to provide security for legal costs amounting to £600,000.
Choksi is an Antiguan and Barbudan citizen by investment.

In an order obtained by Times Now, Justice Mansfield noted that Choksi’s allegations were largely supported by circumstantial evidence and lacked independent witness testimony.

“Further, unsurprisingly, there is no witness evidence as to the kidnapping and assault of the Claimant, other than that of the Claimant himself,” the judge stated. While acknowledging that circumstantial evidence can be persuasive in conspiracy cases, the court said that at this early stage of proceedings it was difficult to assess the strength of such claims without fuller examination of the evidence.

Choksi’s London-based counsel, Mr Fitzgerald KC, had argued that ordering security for costs would be unjust, claiming there was strong evidence that the defendants were part of a conspiracy to abduct, torture, and forcibly render Choksi to India. However, the court was not persuaded.

The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by Choksi in May 2024 against the Government of India, four non-resident Indians, and a Hungarian woman. He alleged that he was physically assaulted and mentally harassed after being abducted in Antigua and Barbuda, before being taken by boat to the Dominica.

In support of his case, Choksi relied on an Antiguan police report prepared by Inspector Adonis Henry in June 2021 and a witness statement from private investigator Oliver Laurence, who was hired by Choksi’s family.

The court observed that both documents relied heavily on second-hand accounts and documents reviewed by others, rather than direct witness testimony.

Justice Mansfield further noted that the police investigation in Antigua did not progress beyond the initial report. Choksi’s legal team contended that the probe was halted due to alleged collusion between the defendants and the governments of Antigua and Dominica—claims that are the subject of separate legal proceedings filed by Choksi against the Antiguan government.

The UK court also referenced earlier rulings in Europe. Both the Antwerp Court and the Court of Cassation had previously concluded that there was no evidence to substantiate claims that Choksi was abducted by agents acting on behalf of the Indian government in May 2021.

The UK proceedings are ongoing, with the security for costs order standing as a significant financial hurdle for Choksi as the case moves forward.