Mehul Choksi undergoing cancer treatment, to appeal against extradition

Mehul Choksi, 65, left India on January 2, 2018. He is wanted by the CBI and ED for allegedly cheating Punjab National Bank (PNB) out of ₹13,850 crore

Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, wanted in the ₹13,850 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, was arrested in Belgium last week. His lawyer Vijay Aggarwal said they will file an appeal to ensure his release citing health reasons.

 

Mehul Choksi was arrested in Belgium on April 12. According to reports, preparations are being made for his extradition to India after New Delhi's request to the Belgian government.

 

However, Choksi’s legal team is preparing to stop the extradition, stating that he is undergoing cancer treatment. “My client, Mehul Choksi, has been arrested in Belgium, and at the moment, he is in custody. We will be starting the process of filing an appeal against this, and then, as a process of appeal, we will be requesting that he be pulled out of prison. The major ground for the plea is his ill health and that he is undergoing cancer treatment, and of course, he is not a flight risk at all," Aggarwal told news agency ANI.

 

 

According to Aggarwal, Choksi has strong reasons to challenge the extradition request including his ill health. “There is no push. It is a process. Non-bailable warrants have been issued against him since 2018. It is a prerequisite for extradition that there has to be an open-ended, non-bailable warrant. Earlier, they tried to pick him up from Dominica, where they failed. So then, by the Dominican court order, my client was getting his treatment in Antigua. For his medical treatment, he had to go to Belgium, and he has been there getting his treatment for the cancer," he said.  Also Read | Mehul Choksi held in Belgium: Timeline of events leading to his arrest

 

Will Mehul Choksi's extradition be tough?

 

After the arrest, PNB scam whistleblower Hariprasad SV expressed doubt over India’s ability to bring Mehul Choksi back, pointing out that he is likely to hire top European lawyers to delay or derail the extradition process.

 

Speaking to ANI, Hariprasad recalled how Choksi had previously managed to dodge similar proceedings in Dominica.

 

"Extradition is not an easy task. Choksi's wallet is full, and he will employ the best lawyers in Europe to avoid the process like what Vijay Mallya has been doing. I don't think it is going to be easy for India to get him back," he said.

 

Hariprasad further alleged that Choksi had defrauded over 100 franchises, many of whom have lodged complaints in various cities across India. "The legal system in India is undoubtedly very great, but the extradition process depends on the country we are dealing with," he said.  ALSO READ | Mehul Choksi arrested in Belgium: What was his role in the PNB scam? 

Who is Mehul Choksi?

 

Mehul Choksi, 65, is a fugitive diamond trader who left India on January 2, 2018. He is wanted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly cheating Punjab National Bank (PNB) out of ₹13,850 crore. His nephew, Nirav Modi, was also allegedly involved in the fraud.

 

Choksi and Nirav Modi are accused of using fake letters of undertaking to cheat PNB, causing a massive financial fraud. Nirav Modi is lodged in a jail in London and is fighting extradition to India after being denied bail several times.

 

Choksi, who founded Gitanjali Gems, is facing charges in the PNB scam. On November 15, 2023, he was granted residency in Belgium. Before moving there, he was living in Antigua and Barbuda. His wife, Preeti Choksi, is a Belgian citizen.

 

According to a report by the Associates Times, Choksi got an 'F Residency Card' in Belgium, but he allegedly submitted false and forged documents, including fake declarations, to the Belgian authorities. The report also claims he hid the fact that he held both Indian and Antiguan citizenship and gave wrong information about his nationality to avoid being sent back to India.