Submit picture of fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi|Image Credit: ANI
A Belgian court in Antwerp has actually cleared the extradition of fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi to India, stating his arrest by Belgian authorities previously this year as legal. The judgment represents a significant advancement in India’s long-running efforts to protect his return in connection with the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scams case.
While approving the extradition demand, the Antwerp court clarified that Choksi would not be right away returned, as he keeps the right to appeal the choice before a greater court. Choksi was jailed by Antwerp cops on April 11, 2025, following an official demand from Indian authorities. Given that his detention, he has actually stayed lodged in a Belgian jail, with several bail pleas turned down on the premises that he postured a flight threat. The court’s choice now positions the concentrate on India’s guarantees concerning his detention conditions and reasonable trial as soon as extradited.
Previously, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had actually provided a thorough letter of guarantee to the Kingdom of Belgium’s Ministry of Justice and its judicial authorities. The file detailed the particular product, medical, and procedural safeguards that would govern Choksi’s custody in India to deal with human-rights issues raised throughout the extradition procedures.
According to the MHA, Choksi would be apprehended in Barrack No. 12 at Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, an area scheduled for non-violent and white-collar culprits. The center is geared up with a variety of safeguards, consisting of appropriate individual area, aerated cells, 24×7 healthcare, connected sanitation centers, and CCTV tracking. Detainees are supplied 3 meals a day, access to work out backyards, entertainment, and legal assessments.
The Indian federal government likewise ensured that Choksi’s medical requirements would be completely attended to, with arrangements for specialised care and treatment at Sir J Group of Hospitals, situated close by. Oversight systems including the National and State Human Rights Commissions (NHRC/SHRC), together with judicial guidance, have actually been stressed to make sure openness and compliance with global requirements.
Choksi, together with his nephew Nirav Modi, is implicated of managing among India’s biggest banking scams, including deceitful letters of carrying out that defrauded Punjab National Bank of over Rs 13,000 crore. Both deal with numerous charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. (ANI)
Released on October 17, 2025
