Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi’s wife Priti Choksi on Wednesday (June 2) made a shocking claim that “the woman shown on media channels is not the same woman that they knew as Barbara”.

Barbara Jarabica is rumoured to be Mehul Choksi’s girlfriend and is known to his other acquaintances as well. She is the ‘mysterious woman’ whose name cropped up in the case and is alleged to be the female accomplice who had a role in Choksi’s movement from Antigua to Dominica.

Speaking to WION, Priti said, “The picture being shown by media channels of this person called Barbara is not even the correct picture. Where is she, no one knows. If a crime occurred, and she saw it why is she not said anything? No one knows,” adding, “she is not traceable”.

Asked, who was she, Choksi explained, “She claims to be someone who works on the house renovation and she would come down to Antigua twice or thrice — she came in August, in April and now in May” and that “she has never met her”.

These remarks from Mehul Choksi’s wife came after Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne stated last week that Choksi may have taken his girlfriend on a romantic trip to Dominica, where he was busted.

On the reports that fugitive diamantaire was tortured in Dominica, Priti said, “What has brought most anguish to the family is the physical torture and total disregard for the human rights of my husband. If someone really wanted him back alive, why did they need to torture and abuse him physically and mentally? My husband has many health issues.”

On the question of Mehul Choki’s deportation, his wife said, “He is 63-year-old and he is an Antiguan citizen. He enjoys all the rights and protection that the Antigua and Barbuda constitution gives him. I have full faith in the rule of law and the justice system of the Caribbean nations. We await his safe and rightful return to Antigua at the earliest.”

Slamming the Dominica authorities, Priti said, “If my husband was found in Dominica and he has said and I believe police have corroborated that he was kidnapped, where is that kidnapping case filed by Dominica’s police. Kidnapping is an international crime. but where is that case? Where is that boat, and the crew and why is their GPS turned off, today even”.

Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank fraud case. Choksi fled the country was granted citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in January 2018. Now, demands for Choksi’s deportation to India are on and a team from India has gone to Dominica, ahead of a Caribbean court hearing that will decide on whether Choksi will be deported to India.