An Antwerp court on Thursday ordered the extradition of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi to India, ruling that his arrest by Belgian authorities, based on India’s request was valid. The development brings New Delhi one step closer to securing his return, who is accused in Rs 13,000 crore PNB fraud.
Choksi was arrested in Belgium in April following a formal request from Indian authorities. He and his nephew, Nirav Modi, are the primary accused in the PNB fraud case, which involves fraudulent transactions worth thousands of crores. He faces charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including criminal conspiracy, cheating, and falsification of accounts, as well as provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. These offences are also recognised as crimes under Belgian law, thereby enabling the application of the dual criminality clause of the extradition treaty in India’s request for his extradition.
India gives formal assurance to Belgium on Choksi’s detention conditions
Earlier on September 8, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had furnished a formal letter of assurance to the Ministry of Justice, Kingdom of Belgium, and the competent Belgian judicial authorities detailing the conditions under which Choksi would be detained if he is extradited from Belgium to India. The assurances, issued by the MHA and endorsed in consultation with the Government of Maharashtra and prison authorities, set out specific material, medical and procedural safeguards intended to address human rights concerns raised in extradition proceedings.
On August 30, 2025, in a major setback to Choksi, a Belgian court of appeal had denied him bail. ANI quoted sources, who indicated that the court was persuaded by arguments from India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which emphasised Choksi’s history of evading legal proceedings across multiple jurisdictions. The CBI submitted that if granted bail, Choksi posed a significant flight risk and could potentially flee to another country.
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