In a significant legal setback for fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi, a Belgian appellate court has cleared the path for his extradition to India, dealing a crushing blow to his attempts to avoid facing trial in the massive ₹13,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case.
The court decisively dismissed Choksi's sensational claims of being a victim of "political abduction," rejecting his narrative that Indian authorities had orchestrated his mysterious disappearance from Antigua and subsequent appearance in Dominica in 2021. This ruling marks a crucial victory for Indian investigative agencies that have been pursuing the billionaire diamantaire for over five years.
Court Rejects Kidnapping Narrative
The appellate court in Brussels thoroughly examined Choksi's abduction allegations and found them lacking merit. The judges determined that there was insufficient evidence to support his claims that Indian agents were involved in his sudden transportation from Antigua to Dominica. This rejection of the kidnapping theory removes a major obstacle that Choksi had placed in the way of his extradition process.
Long-Running Legal Battle Nears Conclusion
Choksi, who is the uncle of fellow accused Nirav Modi, has been fighting extradition through multiple legal systems since fleeing India in January 2018, just before the PNB scam came to light. The elaborate fraud involved allegedly fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) issued by PNB's Brady House branch in Mumbai that enabled the accused to obtain massive credit from overseas branches of Indian banks.
What This Means for the PNB Case
This legal breakthrough potentially brings Indian authorities one step closer to bringing Choksi back to face justice. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) have been awaiting his return to proceed with their cases against him. The development comes as:
- A major victory for Indian investigative agencies
- A potential turning point in the five-year-old case
- A warning to other economic offenders seeking to evade Indian law
- A significant step toward recovering the massive fraud amount
The Belgian court's decision underscores the strengthening international cooperation in bringing economic fugitives to justice and represents a crucial development in one of India's largest banking fraud cases.
