Antwerp, October 17 (IANS). A court in Antwerp has approved the extradition of fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi to India, in what is seen as a significant victory for India. Choksi, 66, who is accused of masterminding the Rs 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, now has 15 days to appeal the decision in the Belgian Supreme Court, delaying the immediate transfer. Mehul Choksi, who was arrested by Antwerp police on April 11 at the formal request of India’s investigative agency Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has been in custody for more than four months. His repeated bail pleas were rejected by the court. During Friday’s hearing, there was an argument between Belgian prosecutors representing New Delhi and Mehul Choksi’s defense team. The judges ruled that the detention met legal standards and met the dual criminality requirement. Offenses such as criminal conspiracy, fraud, criminal breach of trust, destruction of evidence and corruption, which are charged under sections 120B, 201, 409, 420 and 477A of the Indian Penal Code, as well as sections 7 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, are punishable under Belgian. India strengthened its case by citing international treaties, including the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the United Nations Convention on Corruption (UNCAC), both of which Belgium has ratified. CBI officials visited Antwerp three times to present evidence and got help from a European law firm. The documentary evidence details six bank frauds between 2018 and 2022, including fake letters of undertaking (LoU) and foreign letters of credit (FLC) issued without margin, which resulted in PNB paying Rs 6,344.97 crore as default along with interest. Choksi’s citizenship was a contentious issue. He claims that he renounced Indian citizenship on December 14, 2018 after acquiring Antiguan citizenship in November 2017. India opposes it and insists that he is an Indian citizen so that he can be extradited. Mehul Choksi is facing several serious allegations, some of which are prominent: Punjab National Bank Scam: Mehul Choksi is accused of colluding with PNB to commit a fraud of over Rs 13,850 crore. Money Laundering: Mehul Choksi is accused of money laundering and fake transactions. False guarantee: He issued false guarantees in collaboration with PNB officials. Stock market fraud: Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) banned him from the capital market for 10 years. Sale of fake diamonds: Mehul Choksi is accused of selling fake diamonds as real ones. Unsecured loans from foreign banks: They took unsecured loans from foreign banks and laundered the money by transferring it to shell companies. –IANS MS/DKP
The Belgian court clears the way for Mehul Choksi’s extradition to India
