NIN Web Desk: Dr subhrojyoti chattopadhyay; Hariprasad, a Bengaluru-based entrepreneur, had written to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in July 2016, raising concerns about a possible large-scale scam. He had pointed out that the balance sheets contained clear indicators that something was amiss. The year before, in 2015, Hariprasad had filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Police against Choksi and his group companies after he was allegedly cheated by them. After this, he wrote to several federal agencies, including ED, CBI and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), ministry of corporate affairs and then the PMO in 2016.
India had made a extradition request to Belgium for Choksi’s role in the PNB bank loan ‘fraud’ case. His arrest has come just weeks after media reports confirmed that the fugitive was living in Antwerp with his wife, Preeti Choksi, after obtaining a ‘residency card’ there. Mehul Choksi, the 65-year-old fugitive diamond merchant who fled India on January 2, 2018, was wanted by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly defrauding the Punjab National Bank (PNB) of Rs 13,850 crore.
Indian businessman Mehul Choksi was arrested on April 12, and is currently being held in detention. It further said that India has also introduced the request for his extradition. “The Belgian federal public service of Justice can confirm that Mr. Mehul Choksi was arrested on Saturday 12th of April 2025. He is being detained in anticipation of further judicial proceedings. Access to his legal counsel has been assured,” the Belgian federal public service of Justice said. The Belgian authorities refused to divulge more, citing the standard operating procedures in individual cases.
Former diplomat KP Fabian said that the extradition of Mehul Choksi would be a great decision, but it may take a long time. Giving an example of the recent extradition of 26/11 Mumbai terror accused Thawwur Rana from the US, Mr Fabian said that it took 17 years for him to be extradited, and hence we must not expect the same with Choksi soon. The businessman’s lawyer, Vijay Aggarwal, argued that his client’s “human rights” will be “greatly affected” if he is extradited back to India.
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