File photograph of fugitive diamond dealer Mehul Choksi
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ANI
A Belgian courtroom in Antwerp has cleared the extradition of fugitive diamond dealer Mehul Choksi to India, declaring his arrest by Belgian authorities earlier this 12 months as lawful. The ruling represents a significant improvement in India’s long-running efforts to safe his return in reference to the Punjab Nationwide Financial institution (PNB) fraud case.
Whereas granting the extradition request, the Antwerp courtroom clarified that Choksi wouldn’t be instantly despatched again, as he retains the appropriate to attraction the choice earlier than a better courtroom. Choksi was arrested by Antwerp police on April 11, 2025, following a proper request from Indian authorities. Since his detention, he has remained lodged in a Belgian jail, with a number of bail pleas rejected on the grounds that he posed a flight danger. The courtroom’s resolution now locations the give attention to India’s assurances concerning his detention circumstances and truthful trial as soon as extradited.
Earlier, the Ministry of Residence Affairs (MHA) had furnished a complete letter of assurance to the Kingdom of Belgium’s Ministry of Justice and its judicial authorities. The doc detailed the particular materials, medical, and procedural safeguards that might govern Choksi’s custody in India to handle human-rights issues raised in the course of the extradition proceedings.
In accordance with the MHA, Choksi can be detained in Barrack No. 12 at Arthur Street Jail in Mumbai, a piece reserved for non-violent and white-collar offenders. The ability is provided with a spread of safeguards, together with satisfactory private area, ventilated cells, 24×7 medical care, hooked up sanitation amenities, and CCTV monitoring. Detainees are supplied three meals a day, entry to train yards, recreation, and authorized consultations.
The Indian authorities additionally assured that Choksi’s medical wants can be totally addressed, with provisions for specialised care and therapy at Sir J J Group of Hospitals, positioned close by. Oversight mechanisms involving the Nationwide and State Human Rights Commissions (NHRC/SHRC), together with judicial supervision, have been emphasised to make sure transparency and compliance with worldwide requirements.
Choksi, alongside along with his nephew Nirav Modi, is accused of orchestrating one among India’s largest banking frauds, involving fraudulent letters of endeavor that defrauded Punjab Nationwide Financial institution of over Rs 13,000 crore. Each face a number of costs below the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. (ANI)
Printed on October 17, 2025
