Belgium Court Approves Mehul Choksi’s Extradition to India in Rs.13000 crore PNB Fraud Case

A court in Belgium has approved the extradition of fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi to India. Mehul Choksi is wanted in the 13,000 crore rupees Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case. The court in Antwerp stated that Choksi’s arrest by Belgian police, based on India’s request, was valid.

Mehul Choksi was arrested on 11th of April by Antwerp police following a formal extradition request from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He has remained in custody since then, with multiple bail pleas denied due to concerns he might flee. During the hearing, Belgian prosecutors supported India’s case, while Choksi’s legal team opposed the move. The court confirmed that all charges, including cheating, criminal conspiracy, and corruption, are valid under Belgian law as well.

Mehul Choksi was arrested on 11th of April by Antwerp police following a formal extradition request from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He has remained in custody since then, with multiple bail pleas denied due to concerns he might flee. During the hearing, Belgian prosecutors supported India’s case, while Choksi’s legal team opposed the move. The court confirmed that all charges, including cheating, criminal conspiracy, and corruption, are valid under Belgian law as well.

Choksi now has 15 days to appeal the decision in Belgium’s Supreme Court. If the appeal fails or is not filed, his return to India will proceed.

The PNB scam, is one of India’s largest banking frauds, amounting to more than Rs 13,000 crore. It involved fraudulent issuance of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) by officials at PNB’s Brady House branch in Mumbai, which allowed Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi’s companies to obtain credit from overseas banks without proper collateral or approval.

Following the exposure of the scam, Nirav Modi fled to the UK and was arrested in London in March 2019. He has since been held at Wandsworth Prison, fighting extradition to India. In February 2021, a London court approved his extradition, but Nirav Modi continues to appeal the decision.

Choksi, meanwhile, escaped to Antigua and Barbuda in 2018, where he obtained citizenship. He was detained in Belgium earlier this year, reportedly while seeking medical treatment. Both Choksi and Modi have been declared “Fugitive Economic Offenders” under India’s 2018 law, enabling authorities to seize and sell their assets.