Mehul Choksi’s bail plea: CBI, ED team to visit Belgium to push for fugitive jeweller’s extradition over PNB scam

Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi has been arrested in Belgium following a request from Indian authorities in connection with the ₹14,000-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan fraud case. The arrest, which took place on Sunday, has set the stage for a key legal battle in Belgian courts, with India pressing for his extradition, reported News 18.

Sources in the Indian government confirmed on Monday that a multi-agency team is set to visit Belgium ahead of Choksi’s bail hearing, which is expected to be held next week. Officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) have been reportedly shortlisted to visit Belgium. They will complete documentation and coordinate with the Belgian government to execute the extradition procedure.

The CBI had issued a formal extradition request after locating Choksi in Belgium earlier this year. He had been granted residency in the country in November 2023.

The arrest was based on two non-bailable warrants issued by a Mumbai court—dated May 23, 2018, and June 15, 2021. Choksi, along with his nephew Nirav Modi, is accused of defrauding PNB through fraudulent Letters of Undertaking, causing a massive loss to the Indian banking system. He has already been declared a Fugitive Economic Offender (FEO) by Indian authorities.

Bail application to be filed on medical grounds

Choksi’s legal team is now preparing to challenge both the arrest and the extradition. His lawyer, Vijay Aggarwal, told CNN-News18 that a bail application would be filed on medical grounds, as Choksi is reportedly undergoing treatment for cancer. Aggarwal also indicated that the legal challenge would include human rights concerns, citing alleged poor prison conditions in India.

Referencing the recent UK High Court ruling in the Sanjay Bhandari case, Aggarwal said, “Generally, there are two grounds– this is a political case, and the human rights of the client will be affected.” The London court had denied India’s extradition request for Bhandari due to the risk of “extortion and violence” in Indian prisons, particularly at Tihar Jail.

Belgium’s Justice Department confirmed to CNN-News18 that the Indian side has submitted an extradition request. As legal proceedings unfold, the focus will be on how the Belgian court weighs India’s demand against Choksi’s claims of medical vulnerability and concerns over custodial conditions in India.