GUWAHATI: India has formally requested the extradition of Mehul Choksi from Belgium, where he was arrested on Saturday in connection with the ₹13,850 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam. Sources have indicated that all legal options will be use to bring him back to India.
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Choksi, 65, has been an international fugitive since January 2018, when he fled India for the US and later acquired citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda. He had been residing in Antwerp with his wife, a Belgian citizen, and was reportedly planning a move to Switzerland for medical treatment. Belgium’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed his presence in the country and has stated that it is treating the extradition matter with due importance.
Choksi is expected to fight the extradition process, starting with a bail application citing his age and medical condition. His lawyer, Vijay Aggarwal, has stated that Choksi is undergoing treatment for cancer and is not considered a flight risk.
Choksi and his nephew, Nirav Modi, who is awaiting extradition from the UK, are both wanted by Indian authorities for their involvement in defrauding PNB of nearly ₹14,000 crore.