Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, allegedly involved in over $2-billion Punjab National Bank scam, claims he had taken Antigua citizenship last year to expand his business, as the passport of the Caribbean nation provides visa-free travel to 132 countries, local media in Antigua reported. In a statement issued by his attorney David Dorsett, Choksi said there was no truth in the allegations levelled by the Indian government.

"I lawfully applied to be registered as a citizen of Antigua and Barbuda under the Citizenship by Investment Program. During the course of my application, I did all that was lawfully required of me to do. My application for citizenship was in due course approved," the statement published in the newspaper said.