NEW DELHI: The Indian government has intensified efforts to extradite fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi following his April 12 arrest in Antwerp, Belgium — widely regarded as the diamond capital of the world.
Sources said a multi-agency Indian team is likely to travel to Belgium to push for Mehul Choksi’s extradition in connection with the ₹13,000 crore PNB loan fraud case. The process will first need to pass through Belgium’s domestic legal system.
Earlier this year, India submitted an extradition request under the 2020 bilateral treaty after learning that Choksi was residing in Antwerp. Belgian authorities executed an Indian arrest warrant after the Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office deemed the foreign warrant enforceable, which a source said shows the “progress on how two sides are working together.”
The arrest, coordinated by the international service of the Antwerp prosecutor’s office and local police, was carried out as Choksi was allegedly preparing to move to Switzerland. Choksi seemed to have submitted “forged documents” to obtain residency, concealing his Indian and Antiguan citizenship.
“He is being detained and further judicial proceedings are awaited... as per the local law, access to his legal counsel has been assured,” sources said.
The India-Belgium treaty provides a legal framework for extraditing individuals accused or convicted of crimes punishable by at least one year of imprisonment in both countries.
According to sources, the treaty covers offenses such as fraud, money laundering, cheating and economic crimes, including fiscal offenses related to taxation and revenue, many of them relevant in case of Mehul Choksi.
"We are working on the extradition process and have already shard all the necessary documents with the Belgium authorities,” sources said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have been actively pursuing Choksi’s extradition, especially after the Interpol Red Notice against him was withdrawn. The Belgian government recently confirmed his presence on its soil, stating the case was being given “great importance and attention.”
The sources said Choksi, who is currently lodged in a jail, is expected to seek bail and an immediate release, citing health reasons, as his defence team plans to move for the same, claiming that it will oppose his extradition.
Choksi, a 65-year-old fugitive diamond merchant, left India on January 2, 2018 and is wanted by the CBI and the ED for allegedly defrauding public sector bank PNB of Rs 13,850 crore. His nephew, Nirav Modi, also partnered with him in the fraud.
He fled India by initially travelling to the United States and then settling in Antigua. Choksi had taken the citizenship of Antigua in 2017 and was later arrested in Dominica, allegedly trying to flee to Cuba, although his counsel had claimed that he had been kidnapped from Antigua.
Dominica deported him back to Antigua despite India making a representation for extradition in the court. Later, he left Dominica, reportedly to seek treatment for Cancer in Belgium.
As per the CBI investigation in the fraud case, Choksi connived with his associates and officials of the bank between 2014 and 2017 and fraudulently obtained Letters of Undertaking and Foreign Letters of Credit, resulting in a wrongful loss of Rs. 6,097.63 crore to PNB.
As part of the investigation, the ED conducted searches at more than 136 locations all over India and seized valuables/jewellery worth Rs. 597.75 crore pertaining to the Gitanjali Group owned by Choksi.
Further, immovable/movable assets worth Rs 1,968.15 crore of Mehul Choksi and Gitanjali Group were attached, including immovable properties in India and overseas, vehicles, bank accounts, a factory, shares of listed companies and jewellery. In aggregate, assets worth Rs. 2,565.90 crore were attached or seized in this case, and three Prosecution Complaints (ED Charge sheet) have been filed.
Two weeks back, fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi and his wife, Preeti Choksi, obtained an F Residency Card in Belgium, the sources said, adding Preeti, a Belgian citizen, has family ties in the country, as does Choksi’s extended family.
In 2024, the couple relocated to Belgium from Antigua. Choksi’s nephew, Nirav Modi, was arrested by the Metropolitan Police in London back in May 2019. Although Modi has exhausted all legal avenues for extradition, he continues to be in a UK jail.
Timeline of events leading to Mehul Choksi's arrest:
2014–2017: Mehul Choksi allegedly conspired with his associates and some PNB officials to get fraudulent LOUs and FLCs without following procedures. This resulted in estimated loss of Rs 6,098 crore to PNB. This was only a part of the massive Rs 13,850 crore scam involving Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi
2017: Choksi acquired citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda, which doesn’t have an active extradition treaty with India
2018: Just before the scam was unearthed, Choksi escaped from India on January 2, 2018 and settled in Antigua. After this, the CBI and the ED registered cases against Choksi, Nirav Modi and others
2019: Nirav Modi was arrested in London in May 2019. While he still remains arrested in London, he has exhausted all legal routes to challenge his extradition and now awaits transfer to India
2021: Choksi was detained in Dominica in 2021, while allegedly attempting to flee to Cuba by boat. His lawyers claimed that he was forcibly abducted from Antigua and taken to Dominica. India sought his extradition, which was rejected by Dominican authorities. He was eventually deported back to Antigua
2023: Interpol revoked the Red Notice against Choksi in March 2023, citing concerns over fair trial rights and possible political provocations. This acted as a major blow to India's extradition efforts
2024: Choksi's legal team said that the businessman has been diagnosed with blood cancer, and has moved to Belgium for treatment
2025: Choksi was detained in Belgium, following a renewed extradition plea by the CBI
