Ramby De Mello leading Tony Muman and Susana Ferrín of No5 Barristers’ Chambers defend claim in the High Court alleging that the Government of India hatched or maintained a plan in the UK to forcibly abduct and smuggle by yacht to a Caribbean island Mr Mehul Choksi for the purpose of extracting a false confession under torture and to unlawfully render him to India where he is wanted over his alleged involvement in one of India’s biggest bank frauds, said to be in the region of $1.8billion.
In a very high profile case, Mr Mehul Choksi alleges that the Government of India conspired with named individuals and entered into an unlawful means conspiracy in the UK to unlawfully render him to India from the Caribbean. For a more detailed background of the alleged facts, see the decision of Robertson J in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Antigua and Barbuda.
Ramby, Tony, and Susana act for the Fifth and Sixth Defendants, instructed by Galwinder Kang at Murria Solicitors.
On Monday 16 June 2025 Mr Justice Freedman conducted a case management hearing, dismissing the Indian Government’s application that its State Immunity application should be bifurcated from the jurisdictional complaints raised by the other defendants.
The case raised important points about jurisdiction and immunity which are yet to be decided.
The case will next come before the High Court over a five-day hearing to determine arguments on State Immunity and Jurisdiction.
For press reports, see:
- The Times, “‘Kidnapped’ diamond tycoon sues Indian government in London”
- Reuters, “Fugitive jeweller Choksi accuses India of orchestrating his kidnap in Antigua”
- The Hindu, “Mehul Choksi takes ‘kidnapping’ allegations against India to U.K. court”
- Bloomberg, “Diamond Tycoon Alleges India Abducted Him to Extract False Confession”
- The Economic Times, “Diamond tycoon Mehul Choksi claims India abducted him to extract false confession”
- The Telegraph: “Diamond Tycoon ‘kidnapped and smuggled on to yacht in honeytrap plot’”
For any booking enquiries for Ramby or Tony, please contact the clerks at clerks@halcyonchambers.com, or on 0121 237 6035.
