Mumbai: In a major breakthrough, fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi was arrested in Belgium on Saturday, April 12, following an extradition request by Indian probe agencies for his alleged involvement in the over Rs 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam. Following his arrest, his lawyers are now preparing another set of legal battles, first for his bail and later to contest the extradition.
While India is gearing up for the extradition proceedings, sources reveal that a high-level Indian delegation, including officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, along with legal representatives from the CBI and ED, is preparing to travel to Belgium. Their mission is to attend court hearings and push for India's case for Choksi's extradition, hoping to expedite the legal proceedings. This is India’s second attempt to bring him back. Choksi has been arrested after the extradition request was sent by the Indian government to the Belgian Ministry of Justice in connection with the PNB bank fraud case.
About India's First Attempt
India’s first attempt to extradite Choksi had failed as the request was turned down by the government of Antigua in 2021. Besides, the attempt also backfired as Choksi, in its defence, had claimed that Indian officials tried to kidnap him from Dominica, where he was allegedly honey-trapped, an issue Choksi still uses in his defence. While India is preparing for Choksi’s extradition proceedings, his team of lawyers is taking it step by step, focusing on getting him out on medical grounds.
It is said that Choksi had moved to Belgium to avail treatment for cancer. Besides, the second major ground for defence would be that Choksi is no longer a citizen of India. The sources from the central agency claimed that as soon as Choksi moved out of Antigua to Belgium, Indian agencies revved up their attempt to extradite him six months ago in 2024. Indian law enforcement agencies indicated that he had traveled to Belgium, allegedly for medical treatment and to be with family, particularly his wife, who holds Belgian citizenship.
Mehul Choksi is said to have acquired citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in 2017 through their Citizenship by Investment Program, however, he never gave up his Indian citizenship which further complicated his legal status. Choksi had left India on January 2, 2018, claiming he was heading for better medical treatment.
