Following India's Request for Extradition, Mehul Choksi Detained in Belgium

Mehul Choksi, a fugitive diamond merchant who was wanted in relation to the loan fraud case against Punjab National Bank (PNB), was taken into custody by Belgian police on 14 April. Vijay Aggarwal, Choksi's attorney, informed reporters that the 65-year-old was taken into custody on April 12 and is presently imprisoned. He stated that they would resist India's request for extradition and submit an application against his arrest. Citing reasons for Choksi's appeal, Aggarwal assured reporters that his client is not a flight risk. He is receiving cancer therapy and is very ill. The CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) are seeking Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi, who is awaiting extradition from London, for allegedly cheating the bank out of over INR 13,500 crore in 2018.

How Scam was Executed

Choksi, Modi, and the managing director of his company, Gitanjali Gems, were among the entities against which the PNB lodged a criminal complaint. They allegedly bribed executives at the bank's Brady House office in Mumbai by using foreign letters of credit (FLCs) and letters of undertaking (LoUs). Weeks before the PNB scam came to light, Choksi and Modi left India in January 2018. Mehul Choksi's presence in the European nation was confirmed by the Belgian foreign ministry to an Indian media outlet last month. They stated in a communication that they were cognisant of his presence and gave it careful consideration. However, the ministry stated that it does not comment on specific situations. Nevertheless, the FPS Foreign Affairs is still keeping a careful eye on the progress of this significant case.

Choksi on the Run

After getting a "residency card" in Belgium, Mehul Choksi and his wife, Preeti Choksi, have been residing in Antwerp. He was an Antiguan and Barbudan national who allegedly fled the island nation to receive cancer treatment with plans to relocate to Switzerland. He was discovered in Dominica, another Caribbean island nation, after going missing in Antigua in 2021. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed lawmakers in December 2024 that properties valued at INR 2,565.90 crore had been either sold or restored to cover the debts of wanted people like Choksi.

Why Extradition will not be a Cake Walk?

The extradition procedure won't be quick or simple, according to Choksi's legal team, despite India's increasing efforts to bring him back. "There's no push," Aggarwal noted. It's a procedure. He has been the subject of non-bailable warrants since 2018. The presence of an open-ended, non-bailable warrant is a need for extradition. They had already attempted, but failed, to pick him up from Dominica. His client was receiving therapy in Antigua as a result of the Dominican court order. He had to travel to Belgium for medical treatment, and he has been receiving cancer therapy there. He clarified that a number of legal procedures must be completed before a country can extradite someone, including an arrest, bail processes, and discussions regarding the individual's health, community links, and potential flight risk.