In a dramatic legal development that could significantly impact his future, fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi has been dealt a crushing blow by a Belgian court. The court has delivered a stinging rebuke, declaring his defence arguments in the ongoing extradition case as completely 'irrelevant'.
What This Legal Setback Means for Choksi
This ruling represents a major victory for Indian authorities who have been tirelessly pursuing Choksi's extradition to face trial in the massive Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case. The court's dismissal of his defence strategy substantially weakens his position and brings him closer to potentially being sent back to India.
The Core of the Court's Decision
The Belgian judicial authorities examined the arguments presented by Choksi's legal team and found them lacking in substance regarding the extradition proceedings. This decisive rejection indicates that the court views India's extradition request as legally sound and procedurally valid.
Background of the PNB Scam Case
Mehul Choksi, along with his nephew Nirav Modi, stands accused of orchestrating one of India's largest banking frauds, estimated at nearly ₹14,000 crore. The elaborate scheme involved fraudulent letters of undertaking issued by Punjab National Bank, which went undetected for several years before unraveling in 2018.
Following the exposure of the scam, Choksi fled India and eventually acquired citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in 2017. His attempts to avoid extradition have involved multiple legal battles across different jurisdictions, with this latest development in Belgium marking one of the most significant setbacks to his defence strategy.
The timing of this ruling is particularly crucial as it comes amid ongoing efforts by Indian investigative agencies to bring all accused in the PNB case to justice. With Nirav Modi already facing legal proceedings in the UK, this development against Choksi represents another step forward in the complex international legal battle surrounding the massive banking fraud.
