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Extradition
There is no risk that fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi will not get a fair trial in India after his extradition, a Belgian court has ruled, underlining that he has failed to demonstrate any "serious risk" of being subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment. A four-member indictment chamber at the Court of Appeals in Antwerp has found no infirmity in the orders issued by the pre-trial chamber of the Antwerp district court on November 29, 2024, allowing Choksi's extradition. The district court had termed the arrest warrants issued by a Mumbai special court on May 23, 2018 and June 15, 2021 "enforceable", which has been upheld by the Court of Appeals in its order dated October 17. The third warrant, related to disappearance of evidence, was not accepted by the Belgian court. The Court of Appeals has held that the documents Choksi submitted do not substantiate his claims that he is the subject of a political trial. It said that it is up to the subject to provide evidence ...
Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, in prison for over six years, has told a UK court there are sensational developments to come when his Indian extradition case on fraud and money laundering charges reopens for a hearing in London next month. The 54-year-old appeared in the dock before High Court Judge Simon Tinkler at the Royal Courts of Justice here on Friday to present his defence in an unrelated case, involving an over USD 8 million unpaid Bank of India debt. The judge turned down Nirav's application for a stay on the proceedings on the grounds of technical and medical constraints in prison, which is set to proceed to a trial scheduled in January 2026. They (Bank of India) refer to my extradition I'm still here. There will be some sensational developments, and I have never used these words before, said Nirav, during a pre-trial review hearing. The fugitive diamond merchant, wanted in India in the estimated USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan scam case, told the court he
CBI Director Praveen Sood on Friday urged law enforcement agencies of the country to bring more synergy in efforts to bring fugitives from abroad by coming together and sharing their database. The CBI chief was addressing the state police chiefs and senior officers of the central agencies during the two-day conference on 'Extradition of Fugitives-Challenges and Strategies' organised by the agency. Sood stressed the need for different agencies to come together and share their databases to bring more synergy in efforts against wanted criminals, the agency's spokesperson said Friday, sharing details of the events. Chairing the valedictory session of the conference on Friday, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan emphasised that the deliberations of the two-day conference would lay the road map for future strategy. He said that there is a need to improve the documentation so that the country's requests for assistance can withstand international legal scrutiny. "He also elaborated on the s
A court in Antwerp on Friday cleared the extradition of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, noting that his arrest by the Belgian authorities on India's request was valid, officials in the know of the development said. The order has come as a strong validation for India's case seeking his extradition, with Choksi having the option of appealing against the decision in a superior court in Belgium, they said. "The order has come in our favour. The court has termed his arrest by the Belgian authorities on India's request valid. The first legal step in getting him extradited is now clear," a senior official said. Belgian prosecutors were aided by Indian officials from the external affairs ministry and the CBI in putting forth strong arguments on Choksi's alleged crime in orchestrating a Rs 13,000 crore scam in the Punjab National Bank in collusion with his nephew Nirav Modi. The prosecutors told the court that he remains a flight risk and cannot be released from prison, the officials sai
A London court will on November 23 hear fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's petition to reopen his extradition trial on the grounds that he may face interrogation by agencies if repatriated to India, a claim agencies are likely to counter with an assurance that he will not be quizzed. Modi, who has exhausted all his legal appeals till the Supreme Court, had approached the Westminster Court with a plea to reopen his extradition trial, understood to be on the grounds that if extradited to India, he would be subjected to interrogation by various agencies, which may result in torture, they said. The agencies probing the matter may reiterate their past assurance to the court that Modi, when extradited, will be put to trial in accordance with Indian laws and will not face any interrogation by the agencies. "We have already filed the chargesheets in the case. His questioning is not needed as of now. Our investigation is almost complete. He is needed to face the trial. In case the court in th
The CBI has succeeded in facilitating the return of 134 fugitives from abroad in the last five years -- nearly twice the number of repatriated persons over an entire decade between 2010 and 2019, officials said. Coordinating closely with Interpol as well as state and central enforcement agencies, the CBI was able to secure the extradition or deportation of these 134 fugitives since 2020. Of these, 23 were brought back this year alone. In contrast, only 74 fugitives were brought back during the decade between 2010 and 2019. The uptick in the success rate can easily be attributed to enhanced diplomatic engagements by the government, India's outreach through VVIP visits, bilateral ties, technological advancements, and improved coordination with Interpol, the officials said. The process of extradition has three stages: issuance of a Red Notice by Interpol, geolocation of the fugitive, and third, extradition after legal and diplomatic manoeuvres, all of which are time-consuming ...
India on Thursday said it is working closely with Belgium for extradition of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi. Choksi was arrested in Belgium's Antwerp on Saturday based on a formal request from the Indian government. "Based on our extradition request, he was arrested. We are working closely with the Belgium side on his extradition so that he can face trial in the country," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. Choksi is wanted by Indian probe agencies in connection with a Rs 13,500-crore bank loan fraud case.