In an unconditional apology, the UK based news organisation ‘CCE News’ has taken back all the allegations levelled against London based businessman Gurdip Dev Bath.
London: In an unconditional apology, the UK based news organisation ‘CCE News’ has taken back all the allegations levelled against London based businessman Gurdip Dev Bath after facing legal proceedings.
The unanimous apology published by UK news media states that the accusations published in their news outlet were false and incorrect and was a part of ‘compensated news’ (paid news) by their journalist. The article lacked concrete facts and information which did not prove Gurdip Dev Bath’s involvement in the alleged abduction of Indian fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi from the Caribbean Island Antigua and Barbuda.
According to CCE News, the article has been taken down, and the organisation settled libel costs which were slapped by Bath’s legal council, which was later donated to the nominated charity.
“CCE News apologise for publishing a news article against Gurdip “Dev” Bath, a St Kitts and Nevis citizen. A series of news articles were published between July 28, 2021, to August 08, 2021. We have taken down the pieces. We reiterate that the writing was part of ‘compensated news’ done by one of our news reporters who failed to check the details,” CCE News stated.
CCE News accepted the reports carried out by the Former Assistant Commissioner of Metropolitan Police Service in London, Tarique Ghaffur CBE QPM, who gave clearance to Gurdip Dev Bath, stating that he was not involved in any activity concerning Mehul Choksi and his escape or abduction theories.
“We ultimately hold the investigative reports of Mr Tarique Ghaffur CBE QPM, a former Assistant Commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police Service, which acquitted Mr Gurdip Dev Bath from the respective allegations concerning Indian businessman Mehul Choksi,” CCE News asserted.
The investigation carried out by former Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur also added that Gurdip Dev Bath has no business-related associations with Hardip ‘Peter’ Virdee. It also added that Gurdip Bath has no share-holding or position in CS Global Partners, a company based in London, UK.
The CCE News and many other media organizations had previously published articles accusing Gurdip Dev Bath of involvement in activities related to Mehul Choksi, which had put Bath on the spot.
CCE News and several news organisations that published articles defaming Bath have been approached by his legal team. According to the Wire – an India based online news website, they were contacted by one of his legal teams to take down the article published on their news platform. EU Reporter also published an apology to Gurdip Dev Bath for their publication. Bath donated the defamation amount paid by EU Reporter to the London Ambulance Services.
Additionally, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne had earlier stated during question hour in the Parliament that Mehul Choksi was not abducted from the country. He said there is no evidence to claim that he was forcibly taken out of Antigua and Barbuda. He also added that the government has not forwarded any formal complaint to the Scotland Yard or other UK-based intelligence agencies.
Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit has also refuted all allegations that the government of Dominica was not in any manner involved in the alleged abduction of Mehul Choksi as claimed by his lawyers. Terming the lawyers perception as total non-sense, PM Skerrit refused that government of India, Dominica and Antigua, and Barbuda was in any association to get Choksi back to India.
Who is Gurdip Dev Bath?
Bath is a national of St Kitts and Nevis, who has strong relations with several key high profile individuals around the world. His associations can be observed from his social media and other official pages, where he can be seen with the Prince of Wales, Charles Philip Arthur George.
Bath has also been spotted in several high-level leadership meetings, including the United Nations General Assembly in 2019. He is known to have strong relations with India as his images flaunted on google shows his personal connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is well established in Indian high net worth individuals. However, there is nothing that makes it illegal or claims his involvement in the Mehul Choksi case.
Apart from India and the UK, Gurdip Dev Bath also has strong relations with top leaders of the Caribbean region. Bath helped the Caribbean region access the supply of India made COVID-19 vaccine before any other international organisation. In February 2021, 7 Caribbean nations, including St Vincent and Grenadines, St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Republic of Suriname and Barbados, received COVID-19 vaccines. The donations were made available because of the warm relations of Bath with both India and Latin American countries.
He was born in India and currently hold the citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis. Some unconfirmed sources also suggest that Gurdip Dev Bath was a pivotal person to organise visits of Prime Ministers of the Caribbean nations to India. Former Prime Minister the Right Honourable Denzil Llewellyn Douglas and Dominican Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit visited India in 2012.
Businesses in India
According to his social presence, Gurdip Dev Bath also owns chain of businesses in India, including the luxurious wedding resort chain ‘Bath Castle’ located in Jalandhar and Ludhiana cities of Punjab, India. The structure is built with a combination of Mughlai & Modern architecture which displays luxury and royalty for people seeking royal events in India. The massive infrastructure worth millions is not only business of Bath as he also owns several industries in Ludhiana, Punjab, that deal in all fasteners, screws and other types of parts.
Besides this, Gurdip Dev Bath is also a popular name in terms of farm landownership in the state of Punjab, India. He is also promoting the agriculture sector, and the farmlands owned by Bath are providing food to many. Over thousands of people are employed in the companies, industries and resorts owned by Gurdip ‘Dev’ Bath.
Controversy with Range Rover
In the year 2017, an expensive car manufactured by Range Rover was covered in graffiti stating “Don’t Trust Range Rover” was dumped outside the Mayfair car dealership of Range Rover. According to Metro, the £70,000 car was owned by Gurdip Dev Bath. The car started showing warning lights and led the owner (Bath) in a dispute with the dealership, which denied that their vehicle had any issues.
Gurdip Dev Bath sprayed the car all over and pasted paper signs reading “Range Rover Cheats & Lies” the car was parked there for more than a week. However, following the enormous damage to the brand, Range Rover paid off all the money (£70,000) back to Bath as compensation for their faulty vehicle.
Donation of 40 Food Containers
Recently, as the COVID-19 crisis grappled St Kitts and Nevis following the complete lockdowns in the Federation, Gurdip ‘Dev’ Bath donated over 44 food containers to vulnerable families of the country.
The shipment has reached St Kitts and Nevis and the food is being distributed by the government. Abdias Samuel, National Disaster Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), St Kitts and Nevis, thanked Bath for contributing to the national response efforts against COVID-19.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank Mr Gurdip Dev Bath, who has contributed to our national response effort by contributing 40 food containers of dry food to the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis,” said Abdias Samuel.
Who is Mehul Choksi
Mehul Chinubhai Choksi, popularly known as Mehul Choksi, went missing from Jolly, Harbour Antigua and Barbuda on May 23 2021. His wife, Priti Choksi, filed a missing complaint on the same day and told police he went at around 5 pm to have dinner with his “friend”. Later he was found in Dominica a few days later, where CID made his arrest.
After being detained for months, Mehul Choksi was granted interim bail on “medical grounds” on July 13 2021.
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