Who Is Barbara Jabarica, The Woman Named In Mehul Choksi’s Alleged Kidnapping?

Who is Barbara Jabarica? The woman from Bulgaria, who has been described as Mehul Choksi’s “girlfriend”, was named in the fugitive jeweller’s alleged "kidnapping". Choksi disappeared from Antigua on May 23 and arrested in Dominica a day later.

The 62-year-old has detailed Jarabica's role in the alleged “honey trap” operation led by “Indian agents” which helped his elaborate abduction. Choksi said he willingly travelled to Dominica “to have a good time” with Jarabica, and claimed to have known for a year. The jeweller’s lawyer Vijay Aggarwal and Mehul's wife Priti Choksi have suggested that the woman may have been part of an Indian operation to extract Choksi out of Antigua and deport him to India through Dominica.

Who is Barbara Jabarica?

According to a report by WION, the woman’s LinkedIn profile said she’s a graduate of the London School of Economics, however, the institution denied having any records of one Barbara Jarabica being a student there ever. The profile also describes her as a “Property Investment Agent” from Bulgaria who is an “Experienced Sales Negotiator". On her Instagram profile babarajarabica, can be reportedly seen posting vacation pictures from January and February 2019 in Budapest.

Similar profiles have been found on Twitter and LinkedIn, where the user has been identified as “Babara Jarabica” and “Babara J”, respectively, WION reported. Her Twitter account, however, has only one tweet even though the account was made in July 2012. The reported account was followed by eleven people, of them, ten are Indians.

Choksi's wife Priti told Indian Express that Jarabica was not an Antiguan citizen, however, frequently visited the Caribbean nation and lived in an apartment right across from her husband. She introduced herself as a property renovation expert. "After my husband’s abduction, though, she has just disappeared," Indian Express quoted Priti. "She would have come out in the open,” she argued. Priti had even revealed to WION that the “picture that is run of this person called Barbara is not even correct picture".

Choksi's case took a controversial turn when his lawyer claimed that the woman had become friendly with Choksi over the past six months and played a role in his disappearance. He is believed to be the mastermind of the Rs 13,500-crore scam in Punjab National Bank.

According to Choksi, he was abducted, blindfolded and then taken to the rear of Jabarica’s house in Antigua and Barbuda and placed on “a very small watercraft”. Further,  his abductors were given the task to send him back to India which did not go according to plan. The businessman says in his complaint that he suspects Jabarica was involved in his abduction because she “did not try to help”. He went on to say that eight to ten “heavily muscled” men kept beating him and tasered him on his face, hands and exposed skin, causing burns. Choksi said the men warned him to leave his friendship with Jabarica out of the picture as it would lead to a public scandal and affect his wife.

Responding to Choksi's allegations, Jabarica said in a interview that she had no hand in his alleged kidnapping. " I had hundreds of opportunities driving alone with him on the island and walking with him. If I wanted to abduct him, why would I do it at my home at busy daytime hours when everyone was there on the street, walking," she said, as per Time of India.

Jabarica also alleged that Choksi had tried to woe her over the past year by gifting her diamond bracelets and rings that turned out to be fake. Choki's wife Priti had alleged that Jabarica was part of a spy ring, however she denied these allegations as well in her interview.

Read more about Priti Choksi's Statement here.

Feature Image Credit: DNA India