Updated: Sat, 18 Oct 2025 02:00 (IST) New Delhi: The Antwerp court has approved the extradition of fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi. The court said the arrest by the Belgian authorities at India’s request was legal. Mehul still has the option of appealing in the Supreme Court. Mehul Choksi is wanted in the PNB scam, and has been arrested in Belgium at the request of the CBI. Fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi. (File photo) Digital Desk, New Delhi. A court in Antwerp on Friday approved the extradition of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, saying Mehul’s arrest by Belgian authorities at the request of India was legal. Officials who were aware of the incident gave this information. Mehul has the option to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court of Belgium. Remove Advertisement Read Only News The senior officer said, the order came in our favour. The court legalized Mehul’s arrest by Belgian authorities at India’s request. Indian officials from the Ministry of External Affairs and the CBI helped the Belgian prosecutors to present a strong stand in this case. ‘There is a risk of absconding’ Prosecutors told the court he is an escape risk and he cannot be released from prison, officials said. After hearing arguments from Belgian prosecutors and Choksi’s defense lawyers during a hearing in September, the court concluded that his arrest was legal. Choksi was arrested on 11 April. Choksi was arrested in Belgium on April 11 based on an extradition request sent by the CBI. Several courts of this country have rejected his bail applications. It is worth noting that India has also assured the Belgian authorities that if Mehul is extradited, he will be housed in Barrack No. 12 will be detained in Arthur Road Jail, Mumbai. What is the matter? Mehul and his nephew Nirav Modi are wanted in the Rs 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank fraud case. This loss was committed through fake Letters of Undertaking (LOU) in connivance with some bank officials of Brady House branch of PNB in Mumbai. Declared a fugitive economic offender, Nirav Modi is in a London jail after he was detained by the authorities in 2019 based on a legal request made by the ED and CBI in the case. (With inputs from news agency PTI) Also read: Fugitive businessman Choksi to return to India, extradition proceedings to begin from today.
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