UK high court orders Mehul Choksi to deposit ₹8 crore as security

Fugitive Indian businessman Mehul Choksi has been directed by the UK High Court to deposit more than £677,000, roughly ₹8 crore, as security for costs in the civil lawsuit he has brought in London, marking a critical development in the high-stakes legal battle surrounding his controversial kidnapping allegations.

The order was issued by the High Court of Justice, King’s Bench Division, after the defendants in Choksi’s case applied for security to protect against potential costs should the claim fail.

The judge concluded there was no strong likelihood of success in Choksi’s claims, raising doubts about the merits of his allegations.

Choksi’s lawsuit, filed in May 2024, names the Government of India and five individuals, all UK residents, as defendants. He alleges he was abducted from Antigua in 2021 and forcibly taken to Dominica as part of a conspiracy involving Indian state actors, a narrative he has advanced to resist extradition.

The legal proceedings stem from Choksi’s dramatic disappearance from Antigua and Barbuda in May 2021, an episode that saw him reappear in Dominica under suspicious circumstances.

Choksi’s legal team claims he was kidnapped by agents of the Indian government to extract a false confession and facilitate his return to face charges in India — allegations that New Delhi has uniformly rejected.

In London, the defence for the named individuals argued that Choksi’s claim lacked sufficient evidence and stressed that the Indian government enjoys sovereign immunity, asserting that the UK courts do not have jurisdiction in the matter.

Security for costs orders are relatively rare and are typically imposed where there is a real risk that a claimant might be unable to cover defendants’ legal expenses if the case fails.

In issuing the order, the UK court said it was not satisfied that the action had a high probability of success and that requiring the deposit would not stifle a legitimately strong claim.

The latest ruling adds to a series of legal setbacks for Choksi, who remains a fugitive from Indian law, wanted in connection with the multi-thousand-crore Punjab National Bank fraud case. His extradition battle continues in Europe, even as his UK civil suit faces mounting judicial scrutiny.