Mehul Choksi has suffered another blow as a Belgian court ruled that there is no legal obstacle to his extradition to India in the case related to the Rs 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam. The court also said that the fugitive businessman would get a fair trial and protection there. The Antwerp court also pointed out that Choksi is not a citizen of Belgium and admitted that he is a ‘foreign national’ as defined in law.
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He also said his extradition was not a “political, military or tax-related” matter. The court also said that India has not taken any action against Choksi “on the basis of his caste, religion or political beliefs”. Rejecting Choksi’s allegation that he was abducted in Antigua and Barbuda in 2021 on the instructions of Indian authorities, the court said there was no evidence to prove his case.
Choksi was arrested in Belgium on April 11 based on an extradition request sent by the CBI. CBI has alleged in its chargesheet that out of the total Rs 13,000 crore, Choksi alone embezzled Rs 6,400 crore. Officials with knowledge of the matter said the court in Antwerp held that Choksi’s arrest by Belgian authorities at India’s request was lawful. He said the order strengthens India’s case for Choksi’s extradition, as Choksi has the option to appeal against the decision in the Supreme Court of Belgium. “This is India’s first success in the ongoing extradition proceedings against Mehul Choksi in Belgium,” an official said.
Choksi, 66, is lodged in a prison in Antwerp since his arrest in April. Several of his bail applications have been rejected after the Belgian prosecution effectively defended them. CBI has also helped Choksi since April this year. Belgian prosecutors were helped by Indian officials from the Ministry of External Affairs and the CBI to present a strong case on Choksi’s alleged role in orchestrating one of the biggest scams with his nephew Nirav Modi at the state-owned Punjab National Bank. Officials said prosecutors told the court that Choksi was a flight risk and could not be released from jail.