Mehul Choksi's extradition to India can take a long time
INDIAN fugitive Mehul Choksi was arrested by law enforcement in Belgium on Saturday due to his alleged involvement in fraudulent activities. However, extraditing the fugitive diamond merchant may prove to be a tough task.
The 65-year-old Choksi has been wanted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) in India since 2018, after it was discovered that he had allegedly defrauded the Punjab National Bank (PNB) of ₹13,850 crore.
Hariprasad, one of the complainants in a case against Mehul Choksi, stated that extradition would not be an easy task as the accused businessman had a fleet of lawyers, who allowed him to evade the law previously as well.
"Extradition is not an easy task. Choksi's wallet is full, and he will employ the best lawyers in Europe to avoid the process like what Vijay Maliya has been doing. I don't think it is going to be easy for India to get him back," ANI quoted him as saying.
"When he was caught in Antigua (Dominica) and other islands, he could manage to get out of it because he has a fleet of lawyers. But I wish and hope that this time, the Indian government will succeed," he added.
Former diplomat KP Fabian said that while India could request extradition, the decision was in the hands of the Belgian government. He also said that Choksi is well within his rights to challenge the extradition and can make an appeal in court.
"It will be great if it can be done, but again, Rana, how many years has he taken us? When was 26/11, 2008. And we got him in 2025. So, all these, all the extradition proceedings will take time. But there can be obstacles," he said.
Fabian added that an Interpol Red Corner Notice for Choksi had been withdrawn in 2023, possibly because it was not working.
“Well, I'll put it this way: India wants him extradited, and Belgium has to take the decision. Now, even the Belgium Internal affairs and the foreign affairs, take that decision. Choksi has the option of going to court in Belgium. And then there can be arguments, pros and cons,” he said.
He added, “We can't jump to the conclusion that tomorrow or day after Belgium is going to extradite him because there is a legal process, even if the Belgian government decides, he can go to court. So, whether eventually he'll be extradited or not at this moment we can't say, but obviously we should try hard, as hard as necessary to get him.”
Choksi's lawyer's response
After Mehul Choksi was arrested and taken into the custody of Belgian law enforcement officials, his lawyer, Vijay Aggarwal, stated that if the businessman would be extradited, his human rights would be “greatly affected.”
During a press conference on Monday, Aggarwal said that his team would challenge any attempt to extradite Choksi. He added, “Basically, we will be defending it on two grounds. It is a political case, and secondly, it is because of the human rights conditions in India.”
He further claimed that Choksi had not been officially declared a fugitive because he had remained cooperative with Indian investigating agencies.
"We have always maintained in the entire court that he is ready to join, but because of his medical condition, he cannot travel. That is why we initially maintained that the Indian agency could investigate, and he will join on VC (video conference). That is why, to date, everyone has been declared a fugitive, but Mehul Choksi is not a fugitive. Our case has been going on for years now," Aggarwal said.
Elaborating on Choksi's health condition, he said, “He is extremely sick. He is undergoing treatment for cancer, and the last time he was picked up from Antigua by the Indian agencies, because of the torture, he was feeling very claustrophobic and had got some permanent deformities, as well as suffering from PTSD.”
