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Extradition of Mehul Choksi: The Supreme Court of Belgium on Tuesday rejected the appeal of fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi, in which he had challenged his extradition to India.
10 December, 2025
Extradition of Mehul Choksi: Fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, the main accused in the Punjab National Bank scam, has suffered a major setback. The Supreme Court of Belgium on Tuesday rejected the appeal of fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi, in which he had challenged extradition to India. India had sent an extradition petition to Belgium on August 27, 2024, on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by a special court in Mumbai. Choksi had appealed in the court against extradition, which has been rejected by the court. After Choksi’s last bet failed, now he will have to return to India.
On this basis the court rejected the petition
Court spokesperson, Advocate-General Henry Vanderlinden, said the court rejected the appeal and upheld India’s petition. Officials said that the process of his extradition will now begin. Earlier, the Court of Appeals had ruled that if Choksi, the main accused in the Rs 13,000 crore PNB scam, is extradited to India, there is “no risk” of being denied a fair trial or ill-treatment and there is no risk of him being subjected to torture or inhuman and degrading treatment there.
Choksi could not provide concrete evidence
Rejecting Choksi’s appeal, the Court of Appeals said that the businessman could not provide real and concrete evidence of torture or denial of justice. The court said that the documents submitted by Choksi do not prove his claim that he is the subject of a political trial. The court also rejected the fugitive’s contention that he was kidnapped in Antigua and Barbuda in May 2021 at the behest of Indian authorities. India assured Belgium about Choksi’s security, the charges against him during the trial in India, jail arrangements, human rights and medical needs.
Choksi is accused of Rs 13,000 crore scam
Choksi had fled to Antigua and Barbuda in January 2018, a few days before the scam was discovered. He was seen in Belgium, where he reportedly received treatment. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged in its charge sheet that out of the total amount of Rs 13,000 crore in the scam, Choksi alone has embezzled Rs 6,400 crore.
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