Mehul Choksi, the businessman accused of cheating Punjab National Bank (PNB) of ₹13,500 crore, has finally been arrested. After fleeing India years ago, he was recently caught in Belgium. According to reports, Belgian police acted on requests from India’s CBI and ED to arrest him.
Choksi is a diamond trader and owner of the Gitanjali Group. He began cheating PNB by taking fake loans in 2011, but the scam was exposed in 2018. After that, he escaped the country and managed to stay out of India’s reach for years. However, this time, he ended up in a country where bringing him back is legally easier. He was arrested from a hospital in Belgium, and now India is preparing to bring him home.
India Begins Extradition Process
Sources say Choksi was in a hospital in Belgium for treatment when Indian agencies found out about his presence. The CBI and ED had already submitted a request for his extradition about three months ago. Realizing he could be caught, Choksi was allegedly planning to flee to Switzerland, but before that, Belgian authorities arrested him.
According to a News18 report, there was a recent conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and King Philippe of Belgium. The two leaders spoke about strengthening relations, trade, and investment. It’s believed that during this conversation, Mehul Choksi’s case was also discussed, and after that, efforts to arrest him were sped up.
Why It’s Easier to Bring Him Back This Time
After fleeing India, Choksi first went to the Caribbean country of Antigua and Barbuda, where he even took citizenship. Later, he went to Dominica, where he was arrested for illegal entry. At that time, bringing him back to India was difficult because India didn’t have an extradition agreement with those countries.
But this time, it’s different. India and Belgium have had an extradition treaty since 1901, from the British colonial era. This gives India a strong legal right to formally request Belgium to hand over Choksi.
Choksi’s Business Links in Belgium
Sources in the CBI say Mehul Choksi had several diamond and jewelry businesses running in Belgium for years. Belgium’s diamond industry is one of the biggest in the world, and Choksi had built a good network there. He even managed to get a Belgian ‘F Residency Card’ through his Belgian wife, which allowed him to stay and work in the country.
He May Try Legal Tricks
Though Choksi has been arrested and India has started the process to bring him back, experts believe he might try legal tactics in Belgian courts. His lawyers may seek bail or delay the extradition process, which could slow things down.
Meanwhile, a similar extradition case is going on against Choksi’s nephew Nirav Modi in London. If India succeeds in bringing Choksi back, it will be a big win for agencies like the CBI and ED, and the PNB scam investigation could take a new turn. Now, all eyes are on Belgium’s courts and India’s diplomatic moves.
