Mehul Choksi

Belgium's Supreme Court to hear Mehul Choksi's extradition appeal on Dec 9

The case of fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi challenging his extradition will come up for hearing before Belgium's supreme court -- the Court of Cassation -- on December 9, officials said on Thursday. Choksi has challenged before Belgium's top court an October 17 ruling of the Antwerp Court of Appeal that upheld India's request for his extradition while terming it "enforceable". In response to queries by the PTI, Advocaat-generaal Henri Vanderlinden said the Court of Cassation will hear the case on December 9. The Court of Cassation only checks the decision of the court of appeal "on legal aspects" such as whether the court of appeal correctly applied the legal dispositions, and whether they follow the right procedure, he told PTI. "So, new facts or evidence cannot be placed," he said. "The proceedings are, in essence, a written one. As a rule, all cases are heard. If the court refuses to admit the appeal, it will be on legal grounds, for example, the person who filed the ...

Mumbai court clears auction of Mehul Choksi-linked Gitanjali Gems assets

The Mumbai special court directed that proceeds from the auction, estimated at around ₹46 crore, be placed in a fixed deposit under the court's name until trial concludes

Mehul Choksi moves Supreme Court of Belgium against extradition order

The development comes after the Court of Appeals in Antwerp, on October 17, rejected Choksi's argument that he may not receive a fair trial if extradited to India

No risk that Mehul Choksi won't get fair trial in India: Belgian court

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 ...

Belgian Court finds offences extraditable, dismisses Choksi's bias claims

The judgment clarified that the alleged acts occurred in India between December 31, 2016, and January 1, 2019, and that prosecution is not time-barred under either Indian or Belgian law

Antwerp court clears fugitive jeweller Mehul Choksi's extradition

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

CBI court pardons Nirav Modi's brother-in-law, makes him approver

A special CBI court granted him pardon on the condition that he would make "full and true disclosure of all circumstances within his knowledge concerning the offence and every other person involved"

Mehul Choksi assured humane jail conditions if extradited to India

Wanted fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi could be lodged in Barrack No. 12 of Arthur Road Jail with amenities meeting European human rights standards

Fugitive Mehul Choksi's bail plea rejected by Belgian court of appeal

The bail plea of fugitive diamonds trader Mehul Choksi, wanted in India in connection with over Rs 6300-crore fraud in the Punjab National Bank (PNB), has again been turned down by a court of appeal in Belgium, just ahead of his extradition hearing before a court in that country, officials said. The court rejected the appeal on strong reasons conveyed by the CBI to the Belgian prosecution that Choksi had escaped from many jurisdictions earlier as well to evade legal proceedings and may flee to another country if let out on bail, they said. Choksi was arrested in Belgium in April on the basis of an extradition request sent by the CBI, they said. His earlier bail application, heard by the Court of Cassation in Belgium, was also rejected, they said Choksi filed another bail application on August 22 and offered to be under house arrest -- under surveillance at home -- but the court of appeal rejected it earlier this week, they said. The arguments in the extradition case of 66-year-ol

CBI court stays loan fraud case proceedings against Choksi till August 8

A special CBI court here on Friday stayed proceedings against diamantaire Mehul Choksi till August 8 in the Rs 55 crore Canara Bank-led consortium loan fraud case. A magistrate court, in April, took cognizance of a chargesheet filed by Central Bureau of Investigation in the case and had issued summons to the accused, including Choksi and two former employees of Gitanjali group Vipul Chitalia and Aniyath Nair. However, their lawyers Vijay Agarwal, Rahul Agarwal and Jasmin Purani on Friday filed a revision application against the magistrate's order before the special CBI court claiming it was passed in "a mechanical manner without application of mind". The order summoning the accused has been passed with lightning speed on the same day of filing of chargesheet, without even perusing it, they claimed and sought interim relief until their plea is decided. Special Judge J P Darekar, presiding over the matter, found that the magistrate court's order does not reflect any opinion formed .

CBI helped bring back 134 fugitives from abroad in past 5 years: Officials

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 ...

US arrests Nirav Modi's brother Nehal in ₹13,000 crore PNB scam

Nehal Modi, brother of fugitive Nirav Modi, has been arrested in the US on India's request in connection with the ₹13,000 crore PNB bank fraud. He faces extradition on money laundering charges

PNB scam: Court clears release of Nirav Modi's ₹66.3 cr assets for recovery

A Mumbai court has allowed the release of Nirav Modi and Purvi Modi's assets worth ₹66.33 crore, attached by the ED in the PNB fraud case, to help recover losses

Fugitive Mehul Choksi accuses India of orchestrating his kidnap in Antigua

Choksi - who was arrested in Belgium in April - is wanted in India over his alleged involvement in one of India's biggest bank frauds at Punjab National Bank

Sebi attaches bank, demat, MF accounts of Choksi to recover Rs 2.1 cr dues

Markets regulator Sebi has ordered the attachment of bank accounts and shares and mutual fund holdings of absconding diamantaire Mehul Choksi to recover dues totalling Rs 2.1 crore in a case of violation of insider trading rules in the shares of Gitanjali Gems. The latest move followed a demand notice issued to Choksi on May 15, warning attachment of assets as well as bank accounts if he failed to make the payment within 15 days. The demand notice came after Choksi failed to pay the fine imposed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) in January 2022 in a case of violation of insider trading rules in the shares of Gitanjali Gems Ltd. Choksi, who was the chairman and managing director as well as part of promoter group of Gitanjali Gems, is the maternal uncle of Nirav Modi. Both are facing charges of defrauding state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) of more than Rs 14,000 crore. Both Choksi and Modi fled India after the PNB scam came to light in early 2018. In April, Cho

Sebi orders Mehul Choksi to pay ₹2.1 crore for insider trading breach

Sebi has issued a ₹2.1 crore notice to Mehul Choksi for insider trading in Gitanjali Gems and warned of asset seizure; he also faces a court warrant in a ₹55 crore fraud case

UK High Court denies Nirav Modi bail again in Rs 6,498-cr PNB fraud case

Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, jailed since March 2019, faces another legal setback as the UK High Court dismisses his 10th bail plea in the PNB fraud case

Mumbai court issues non-bailable warrant against Mehul Choksi in fraud case

A court here has issued a non-bailable warrant against diamantaire Mehul Choksi in the Canara Bank-led consortium loan fraud case involving about Rs 55 crore. Choksi, a prime accused in the multi-million dollar Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, was arrested in Belgium on April 12 following an extradition request by Indian probe agencies. The non-bailable warrant against him was issued recently by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Esplanade Court) R B Thakur. The matter has been adjourned to June 2 for a report on the warrant. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that the Canara Bank and the Bank of Maharashtra had sanctioned Rs 30 crore and Rs 25 crore, respectively, as working capital facilities under a consortium agreement to Bezel Jewellery. The loan was granted for the manufacturing and sale of gold and diamond-studded jewellery, but the company allegedly did not use it for the intended purposes, according to the CBI. The company did not repay the loan, .

Mehul Choksi alleges violation of natural justice, seeks fresh relief

Mehul Choksi, in his second plea before the Belgian court, has claimed that the process undertaken regarding his arrest is arbitrary and unlawful

Major fire at ED office likely damaged Choksi, Nirav Modi, Bhujbal records

The Enforcement Directorate has submitted the original investigation records, retaining copies for itself but the fire is likely to impact the questioning of summoned witnesses