BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (June 17, 2025) — Gurdip Bath, a man listed as a diplomatic representative for St. Kitts and Nevis in India, has been named in allegations presented before the High Court in London involving the alleged kidnapping of fugitive diamond dealer Mehul Choksi.
The case, now making international headlines, centres around Choksi’s claim that he was abducted from Antigua in May 2021, taken by yacht to Dominica, and subjected to physical abuse as part of a covert attempt to extradite him to India, where he is wanted on charges linked to a $1.8 billion fraud at Punjab National Bank.
Choksi, 66, who holds Antiguan citizenship, is suing the Government of India in a civil case in the UK, alleging that Indian agents orchestrated the kidnapping. He also named five UK-based individuals, including Bath, as co-conspirators in the alleged operation. All of the accused deny any wrongdoing.
According to court documents, Bath, an Indian national who holds diplomatic status representing the federation, is alleged to have led the operation, working alongside Barbara Jarabik, a Hungarian national; Leslie Farrow-Guy, a British citizen; and Birmingham residents Gurmit Singh and Gurjit Singh Bhandal.
It is further alleged that Bath met with Antiguan officials alongside Jarabik and Farrow-Guy before taking a private jet to Dominica, where Choksi was handed over to local authorities. The court heard that the plan was to facilitate his return to India under the guise of a lawful deportation.
In harrowing testimony, Choksi’s legal team described how he was lured to an apartment in Antigua, where he was ambushed, beaten, tasered, blindfolded, tied to a wheelchair, and taken aboard a yacht, where he was filmed under duress and instructed to implicate political rivals in India.
Bath is said to reside in an £8 million mansion in London’s upscale Mayfair district, and is described in court as having considerable international access and influence.
The Government of India has denied any involvement in the events, calling Choksi’s claims speculative and unsupported. India is arguing for state immunity and seeking dismissal of the case from UK jurisdiction.
Authorities in Antigua and Barbuda previously identified the five alleged conspirators in the course of their own investigation into the 2021 incident.
While the case unfolds in London, no official statement has been issued by the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis regarding Bath’s diplomatic role or the allegations against him.