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A court in Antwerp ohas cleared the extradition of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, noting that his arrest by the Belgian authorities on India’s request was valid, officials in the know of the development said.
According to various media reports, The order has come as a strong validation for India’s case seeking his extradition, with Choksi having the option of appealing against the decision in a superior court in Belgium, they said.
The court confirmed that all charges, including cheating, criminal conspiracy, and corruption, are valid under Belgian law as well. Choksi now has 15 days to appeal the decision in Belgium’s Supreme Court. If the appeal fails or is not filed, his return to India will proceed.
“The order has come in our favour. The court has termed his arrest by the Belgian authorities on India’s request valid.
“The first legal step in getting him extradited is now clear,” a senior official said.
Belgian prosecutors were aided by Indian officials from the external affairs ministry and the CBI in putting forth strong arguments on Choksi’s alleged crime in orchestrating a Rs 13,000 crore scam in the Punjab National Bank in collusion with his nephew Nirav Modi.
The prosecutors told the court that he remains a flight risk and cannot be released from prison, the officials said.
After hearing the Belgian prosecutors and Choksi’s defence lawyers during the hearings in mid-September, the court concluded that his arrest was valid.
Choksi (66) was arrested in Belgium on April 11 on the basis of the extradition request sent by the CBI, they said. His bail applications have been rejected by different courts in that country.
India has also assured the Belgian authorities that if extradited, Choksi would be housed in Barrack No. 12 at the Arthur Road jail in Mumbai, with no chance of overcrowding or solitary confinement, as at least one more economic offender is expected to be housed in his cell.
The Union home ministry informed the Belgian authorities through a September 4
