Mehul Choksi, the fugitive diamond trader implicated in the Punjab National Bank loan fraud case, has been apprehended by police in Belgium. Official sources said that he was arrested on April 12 on the extradition appeal of Indian investigative agencies, and he is currently in jail. India has started the process of Choksi’s extradition to Belgium.
The police cited two arrest warrants while arresting Choksi. These were issued by a Mumbai court. The report said that the warrants were dated 23 May 2018 and 15 June 2021. It is believed that Choksi may seek bail and immediate release, citing his poor health.
Choksi is accused of committing a scam of Rs 13,850 crore. Last month, it was revealed that Mehul Choksi is in Belgium. According to reports, Mehul is living with his wife, Preeti Choksi, who has Belgian citizenship. The Belgian Foreign Ministry was the one that reported Choksi’s presence.
Lawyer said – Choksi will appeal to stop extradition for treatment
Choksi’s lawyer, Vijay Aggarwal, said that his client will file an appeal for bail. During this, he will also appeal that he should not be kept in custody and he should be allowed to defend himself and oppose the extradition appeal by staying out of captivity.
The lawyer said that the appeal would state that there was no risk of Choksi escaping. He is very ill and is undergoing treatment for cancer. It will also be said that Choksi’s case is a political matter, and the condition of Indian jails is very bad.
My residency card was obtained with the help of my wife
Choksi had obtained Belgium’s ‘F Residency Card’ on 15 November 2023, which was allegedly obtained with the help of his Belgian citizen wife. Reports claimed that Choksi had submitted fake documents to Belgian authorities. He hid his Indian and Antiguan citizenship and gave the wrong information so that he could not be deported to India.
Choksi was in Antigua before Belgium
Before leaving India in 2018, Choksi had taken citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in 2017 itself. Choksi consistently declined to return to India, citing health issues. Sometimes he used to appear through video conferencing. Many of his properties in India have also been seized.
Choksi’s nephew, Nirav Modi, is also an accused in this scam and is facing extradition proceedings in London.
Reached Dominica from Antigua, and was in jail for 51 days
Choksi reached the neighboring country of Dominica from Antigua in May 2021. He was arrested here. A CBI team reached Dominica to get him extradited, but before that, he got relief from the Privy Council of the British Queen. Later, he was again handed over to Antigua.
However, Mehul Choksi spent 51 days in Dominica’s jail. Here, he argued that he wanted to go to Antigua and get treatment from a neurologist there. A few days after reaching Antigua, the Dominica court also dismissed the cases registered against Choksi.
Whistleblower said – it is not easy to bring Choksi back
Punjab National Bank scam whistleblower Hariprasad SV said on the arrest of Mehul Choksi that extradition is not an easy task. His wallet is full. He will hire the best lawyers in Europe. As Vijay Mallya is doing. Therefore, it is not easy for India to bring him back.
Hariprasad said that even though Choksi was caught in Antigua, he managed to escape because he had a large team of lawyers. It will not be so easy for the Indian government, although I hope that this time, the government will succeed.
