New Delhi: A court in Belgium’s Antwerp has ordered the extradition of diamond merchant Mehul Choksi to India to face trial in the Rs 13,000-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case.
It’s a big win for India which had sought the extradition of 65-year-old Choksi.
Choksi, who was arrested in Belgium on April 12, can, however, appeal against the extradition order.
The fugitive diamantaire was nabbed by Belgian authorities after an extradition request from Indian agencies Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Choksi, who acquired Antigua citizenship despite having a valid Indian citizenship, had been living in the Caribbean nation since he fled India in 2018. In November 2023, he reportedly travelled to Belgium on the pretext of medical treatment.
Indian probe agencies have provided Belgian authorities with open-ended arrest warrants, issued by a special Mumbai court in 2018 and 2021, as part of their extradition request.
Choksi, his nephew Nirav Modi, several family members, employees and bank officials were named in cases filed by the CBI and ED seven years ago. They have been accused of being part of a massive loan fraud involving fraudulent issuance of Letters of Undertaking (LOUs) and manipulation of Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs) at PNB’s Brady House branch in Mumbai.
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