Antwerp court validates Choksi's arrest and India's request, confirming dual criminality for fraud charges under IPC and anti-corruption laws.
Choksi accused of ₹13,000-crore PNB scam via fraudulent LoUs/FLCs with Nirav Modi; evidence includes fund diversions and evasion attempts.
Appeal possible within 15 days; India assures compliant jail conditions, marking progress in 7-year chase of the fugitive.
Antwerp court in Belgium ruled, approving the extradition of fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi to face trial in the ₹13,000-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case. The court upheld the validity of his April arrest by Belgian police, based on India's request, satisfying dual criminality requirements under international treaties.
Choksi, 66, owner of the Gitanjali Group, has been in custody since his arrest on April 11, 2025, after the CBI tracked him to Belgium in July 2024 and filed the extradition request. He faces charges including criminal conspiracy (IPC 120B), cheating (420), criminal breach of trust (409), destruction of evidence (201), and bribery under the Prevention of Corruption Act. India presented evidence of frauds involving fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) and foreign letters of credit (FLCs) issued without margins or entries in PNB's systems, in collusion with nephew Nirav Modi.
The ruling came after hearings where CBI teams attended thrice, hiring a European law firm, and invoking UN conventions against corruption and transnational crime. Choksi's multiple bail pleas were rejected due to flight risk; he claims Antiguan citizenship, but India insists he remains Indian. India assured humane treatment in Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail Barrack No. 12, meeting European standards.
Though a preliminary win, Choksi can appeal to Belgium's Supreme Court within 15 days, delaying his return. Officials hailed it as validation of India's pursuit of economic fugitives since Choksi fled in January 2018.
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