Editor’s Note
This article reports on fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi’s legal appeal to the Supreme Court of Belgium, following a prior ruling by an Antwerp court.
Fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi has appealed to the Supreme Court of Belgium against an order from an Antwerp court. Let’s learn more about this.
Fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi has appealed to the Supreme Court of Belgium against an order from an Antwerp court. An official stated that the Antwerp court had deemed Choksi’s extradition valid. An Antwerp court had approved the extradition of fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi on Friday (October 17). According to officials, this order strengthens India’s case for his extradition. However, the court had said that Choksi has the option to appeal this decision in a higher court in Belgium.
A court in Antwerp, Belgium, stated in its ruling that Choksi’s crimes are punishable under Indian law under Sections 120-B along with Sections 201, 409, 420, and 477-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). There is also a provision for imprisonment of more than one year under Sections 7 and 13(2) along with Sections 13(1)(c) and (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The court further stated that the charges against Choksi of criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, and forgery are also punishable under Belgian law. Thus, Choksi’s crimes satisfy the principle of dual criminality required for extradition under Articles 66, 196, 197, 213, 240, 241, 245, 246, 247 §§2-4, 324 A-B, and 496 of the Belgian Criminal Code.
The Antwerp court also rejected Choksi’s argument that the extradition request is politically motivated or violates his fundamental rights. The court said that the alleged crimes “cannot be considered political, military, or non-extraditable tax offenses,” and