CBI books NRI for fleeing India despite passport in SC custody
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against a man, who is also a US Green Card holder, for fleeing the country using “unfair means” despite his passport being in the custody of the Supreme Court.
After the unusual case came to light, the Supreme Court first issued a non-bailable warrant against the accused, identified as Manish Chhokar, and later, on February 21, directed the CBI to investigate the matter.
Following a preliminary inquiry, the CBI has now registered an FIR under Section 24 of the Emigration Act, Section 12 of the Passport Act and Sections 127, 206, 208, 318(2) and 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The original case stems from a marital dispute between NRI Chhokar and his wife. The couple married in 2006, moved to the US, and had a child. However, in 2017, Chhokar obtained a divorce decree from a court in Michigan, US.
His wife later initiated multiple legal proceedings against him in India, leading to a settlement before the Supreme Court in October 2019. As part of the agreement, Chhokar agreed to hand over the child’s custody to his former wife.
However, he was later charged with contempt for failing to comply with the order to hand over custody of his 10-year-old son. The custody transfer was a key term of their settlement, which aimed to resolve all disputes following their divorce.
According to the FIR, accessed by The Tribune, Chhokar had deposited his Indian passport with the Supreme Court in December 2023 during contempt proceedings.
“However, he travelled out of India and departed from IGI Airport for the US on January 20 via Cathay Pacific flight CX-698 using a re-entry permit issued by the American Embassy — without a valid passport or travel document,” the FIR states.
The CBI FIR further alleges that Chhokar secured emigration clearance from IGI Airport on January 20 by deliberately providing false information, claiming that his Indian passport had been submitted to the US Embassy and that he would obtain a US passport upon arrival — despite the fact that his passport had been deposited with the Supreme Court.
