Editor’s Note
A Belgian court has denied bail to fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi and approved his extradition to India, marking a significant development in the case.
Fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi has been dealt a severe blow by a Belgian court. The court has rejected the fugitive businessman’s bail plea and approved his extradition to India.
The court stated that releasing Choksi on bail would be risky. The path to bring the fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi to India has almost cleared. A Belgian court has once again rejected Choksi’s bail application. The court delivered a major verdict against Mehul Choksi, one of India’s most prominent economic fugitives and an accused in the PNB bank scam. The court has approved his extradition. Choksi had filed a new bail petition on August 22. He had also suggested the option of house arrest to the court. However, the court rejected this argument and clearly stated that releasing him on bail would be risky.
The court in Antwerp, Belgium, clearly stated that the demand from Indian agencies is valid. The arrest made by Belgian police was legally valid. With the court’s decision, Indian agencies CBI and ED have achieved a major legal victory. However, Choksi’s lawyers have said in court that they will appeal this decision in a higher court. Therefore, Choksi will not be sent to India immediately for now.
The 65-year-old Choksi was arrested by Antwerp police on April 11 based on an extradition request sent by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He has been in jail there for over four months. His repeated attempts to secure bail from various Belgian courts have failed. The Antwerp court heard arguments on Friday from Belgian prosecutors on behalf of the Indian side and from Choksi’s legal team.
The 66-year-old Mehul Choksi is the owner of the Gitanjali Group. He is accused of committing a ₹13,000 crore fraud from the Mumbai Brady House branch of PNB in collusion with his nephew Nirav Modi. This is an alleged scam carried out through fake letters of undertaking and the collusion of bank officials, referred to as India’s largest banking fraud. Mehul Choksi has been in Belgium since 2023. In January 2024, the CBI received information about Choksi’s presence in Belgium, after which the agency sent an extradition request to the European country. India has had an extradition treaty with Belgium since 2020.
Choksi has long been evading Indian agencies. He first fled to Antigua and later avoided extradition using various legal loopholes. Now, this decision by the Belgian court is welcome news for India, as it indicates that the path to his extradition may become somewhat easier.