In a defeat for diamantire Mehul Choksi – the prime accused in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case – the Belgian High Court on Tuesday rejected his plea to block his extradition. A spokesman for the Court of Cassation, Advocate General Henri Vanderlinden, confirmed the development to PTI: “The Court of Cassation rejected the appeal. So the decision of the Court of Appeal stands.”
Following his arrest in Belgium in April this year, Choksi filed a lawsuit in the Belgian Court of Cassation (India’s equivalent of the Supreme Court) on October 30, challenging the extradition ordered last month by the Antwerp Court of Appeal following a request by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Read also | Mehul Choksi’s extradition has been suspended pending his appeal to the Supreme Court in Belgium
Choksi, who fled to Antigua and Barbuda in January 2018 just before the scam came to light, was later traced to Belgium, where he reportedly went for medical treatment. On 27 August 2024, India formally submitted an extradition request to Belgium, citing warrants issued by a special court in Bombay.
An appeals court in Antwerp upheld India’s extradition request for Choksi, calling it “enforceable”.
A four-judge indictment at the Court of Appeal in Antwerp found no fault in the orders issued by the district court’s investigative panel on 29 November 2024 and ruled that the arrest warrants issued by a special court in Mumbai in May 2018 and June 2021 were “executable”, allowing Choksi’s extradition.
Read also | Belgian court clears way for Mehul Choksi’s extradition, rejects his claims
The Court of Appeal ruled that Choksi, the main accused in ₹13,000 crore PNB fraud, faces “no risk” of being denied a fair trial or ill-treated if extradited to India.
The Court of Cassation examines only the legal aspects of an appellate court’s decision — such as whether the appellate court correctly applied legal provisions and followed proper procedures, Vanderlinden explained to PTI last month.
“So no new facts or evidence can be presented,” he said.
“The proceedings are essentially written. As a rule, all cases are heard. If the court refuses to recognize the appeal, it will be based on legal reasons — for example, if the person who filed the complaint did not have the legal capacity to do so,” added Vanderlinden.
Read also | What’s next for Mehul Choksi after Belgian court ‘rejects’ extradition request?
Of the total number of frauds, only Choksi siphoned off ₹6,400 crore, the CBI alleged in its charge sheet.
Where are the cases against Choksi and Nirav Modi now?
Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are the main accused in the multi-crore scam, which is being investigated by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED.
They are accused of allegedly sucking ₹13,000 crore of public money from PNB using LoUs and Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs) by bribing officials of the bank’s Brady House branch in Mumbai.
While Choksi faces extradition proceedings, Nirav Modi is lodged in a London jail.
(With inputs from news agency PTI)
