Exclusive: Barbara Jarabica denies role in Mehul Choksi's abduction, here's what she says

New Delhi: Barbara Jarabica, whose name has cropped up the in Mehul Choksi case, has rubbished claims of her involvement in the alleged abduction of the fugitive diamantaire. She said she wasn't present in the area at the time of the alleged kidnapping of Mehul. 

Choksi, who is wanted in a Rs 13,500-crore PNB bank fraud case in India, had mysteriously gone missing on May 23 from Antigua and Barbuda, where he has been staying since 2018 as a citizen. He was detained in neighbouring island country Dominica for illegal entry after a possible romantic escapade with his rumoured girlfriend. His lawyers alleged that he was kidnapped from Jolly Harbour in Antigua by policemen looking like Antiguan and Indian and brought to Dominica on a boat.

Speaking exclusively to WION, Barbara said, "On May 23, Sunday we went to have breakfast to Carlisle Bay, a hotel-resort in south Antigua and he picked me up in Jolly Harbour. We had breakfast and conversation, coffee and we came back to Jolly harbour at around 11.30 or 12 noon. This was the last time I saw him."

Recalling his conversation with her, she said, "He said that he is really disappointed, and can't believe that I am leaving Antigua and he was trying to convince me to say. However, I told him that I will go to the airport in the afternoon, going to Dominica and will go back to Europe."

62-year-old Mehul Choksi in complaint with Commissioner of police of Antigua and Barbuda and listed Barbara Jarabica along with other to have been involved in his alleged kidnapping, something that hasn't been proved yet. In the 5-page complaint dated June 2, he said, '8-10 heavily muscled men' had taken him from her house at 5.15 local time.

Barbara, in response to WION question said, "around 3 o clock I left and went to the airport. He saying he was kidnapped in afternoon. Its busy time, daytime and busy area and at time, I was going to the airport". She added, "Why would I kidnap him in middle of day, in the busiest time like 4 or 5 pm", questioning, "something does not add up."

In the 30-minute conversation, Barbara gave details of her contact with Choksi since last August 2020 and said thats he knew him as 'Raj'. During the year-long contact, Choksi had spoken to her many times and also gifted her a diamond ring, which turned out to be a fake. 

Asked if she knew about his past, "Now I am finding out that he has lied a lot. He introduced himself has Raj and wherever we went, everyone called him Raj." She added that if she had known about his real background, she would have never hanged out with him.

She also clarified that she is not a national of any Caribbean and is a European.