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The bail plea of fugitive diamonds trader Mehul Choksi, wanted in India in connection with over Rs 6300-crore fraud in the Punjab National Bank (PNB), has again been turned down by a court of appeal in Belgium, just ahead of his extradition hearing before a court in that country, officials said.
The court rejected the appeal on strong reasons conveyed by the CBI to the Belgian prosecution that Choksi had escaped from many jurisdictions earlier as well to evade legal proceedings and may flee to another country if let out on bail, they said.
Choksi was arrested in Belgium in April on the basis of an extradition request sent by the CBI, they said.
His earlier bail application, heard by the Court of Cassation in Belgium, was also rejected, they said.
According to PTI , Choksi filed another bail application on August 22 and offered to be under house arrest — under surveillance at home — but the court of appeal rejected it earlier this week, they said.
The arguments in the extradition case of 66-year-old Choksi, the owner of Gitanjali Group, will be taken up in a court in Belgium in mid-September, they said.
The CBI will assist the Belgian prosecution in putting forth a strong case to send him back to India to face trial in cases against him.
