The Antwerp Court in Belgium has approved the extradition of India’s fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi to India. The court stated that Choksi is not a Belgian national but a foreign citizen, and the charges against him in India — fraud, corruption, and forgery — are of a serious criminal nature.
The Antwerp Court expressed confidence that the fugitive accused would receive a fair trial in India, and that the conditions in Indian prisons would comply with international standards.
The court dismissed Choksi’s claims that the case was driven by political vendetta, religious or racial discrimination, or abduction and torture, describing those allegations as baseless.
The Government of India is now preparing to bring Choksi back to the country at the earliest. The exact date of extradition will be finalized following completion of the formal legal procedures.
Choksi fled India in 2018 after the Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan scam came to light. Along with his nephew Nirav Modi, he defrauded the bank of approximately ₹13,000 crore (around USD 1.6 billion). Meanwhile, Nirav Modi is currently lodged in a UK prison, and his own extradition process is already underway.
This ruling is being regarded as a major legal victory for India.
