India agrees to provide Amenities to Mehul Choksi in Jail

India has agreed to provide proper amenities to Mehul Choksi in jail if he returns to the country. The government has informed Belgium that Indian prisons have adequate facilities and can take proper care of him.

India is making all possible efforts to bring back fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, who is accused in the ₹13,850 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case.

Mehul Choksi had claimed that Indian jails do not have adequate facilities to take care of him, as he is suffering from severe medical issues.

In a letter to the Belgian government, the Government has said that if Choksi is extradited to India, he will be kept in Barrack No. 12 of Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail. This barrack can house six prisoners per cell. The government assured that Choksi will be treated humanely and given more than 14 facilities, including proper food, water, and medical care. The date on which this communication was sent to Belgium has not been revealed.

Choksi was arrested in Belgium on April 12 following India’s extradition request. His nephew Nirav Modi, also accused in the same fraud, is in London where extradition proceedings are going on. Both fled India in 2018 after the scam came to light.

Jail Conditions in Mumbai

On the demand of Air Conditioning, the Home Ministry stated that Arthur Road Jail does not have air conditioning, since Mumbai’s weather is not extremely hot. Instead, the cells are equipped with grilled windows, ventilators, and ceiling fans.

The ministry also said that :

• Cleanliness: Cells are cleaned daily through sweeping and mopping, with regular pest control.
• Water and Hygiene: Municipal water supply is available. Each cell has an attached toilet and bathroom with bathing space.
• Food: Special diet will be provided if advised by doctors. Inmates can buy fruits and snacks from the canteen.
• Recreation: Prisoners are allowed exercise in the courtyard. They also have access to indoor games like board games and badminton, along with yoga, meditation, and a library.
• Medical Care: The jail has a 20-bed hospital with ICU facilities, staffed by six doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. In emergencies, inmates are shifted to Sir J.J. Hospital (3 km away). Private treatment is also allowed at their own expense.

Choksi’s Stay in Belgium and Plans to Escape

Reports say Choksi was living in Belgium with his wife Preeti Choksi, who holds Belgian citizenship. Belgian authorities had informed India about his presence.

According to sources, Choksi was preparing to escape to Switzerland when police arrested him. He was taken into custody based on two warrants issued by Mumbai courts—one on 23 May 2018 and another on 15 June 2021.

On 15 November 2023, Choksi obtained Belgium’s “F Residency Card” with help from his wife. It is alleged that he used forged documents and hid his Indian and Antiguan citizenships to avoid deportation to India.

Previous Attempts to Evade Indian Law

In 2017, Choksi acquired citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda. In 2018, he fled India after the PNB fraud case surfaced.

Since then, he has skipped multiple court hearings, often claiming health issues. Several of his properties in India have already been seized.

In May 2021, Choksi travelled from Antigua to Dominica, where he was arrested. A CBI team quickly reached Dominica to bring him back. However, he got legal protection from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London, which stopped his immediate extradition.

Choksi spent 51 days in Dominica’s jail, where he argued that he needed treatment from a neurologist. Eventually, he was sent back to Antigua, and the Dominican court dismissed the case filed against him. With his recent arrest in Belgium, India’s focus now rests on the extradition process, which, if successful, would mark a major breakthrough in bringing him back to face trial for one of the country’s biggest banking frauds.

PNB Bank Fraud

The fraud came to light in 2018, when officials at PNB’s Brady House branch in Mumbai reported that companies linked to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi had fraudulently obtained Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) from the bank. These LoUs, issued without proper collateral, were used to secure overseas credit from other Indian banks’ branches abroad.