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New Delhi: A Belgian court on Friday upheld the arrest of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi by Belgian police on India’s request and approved his extradition to face trial in Rs 13,000 crore bank fraud case. This significant development comes after Choksi’s arrest in Antwerp in April this year.Choksi, uncle of another high-profile fugitive Nirav Modi who is in jail in UK, can appeal the order in a higher court in the next 15 days. However, officials in India expressed satisfaction over the development saying that Belgian court’s order marked an important step towards his return to India. Declared a flight risk, Choksi was denied bail and has been lodged in an Antwerp prison. With his arrest upheld, he is likely to stay in prison until the Belgian judiciary decides India’s case for him being sent back.Earlier in Aug, at least two Belgian courts rejected Choksi’s bail plea after the Indian law enforcement argued that Choksi was a habitual absconder and was likely to flee to another country if granted bail. The CBI gave Belgian prosecutors with details of of his involvement in economic offences in India and his escape from US and Antigua in the past besides the two open warrants against him. The last extradition hearing took place in Sept.According to a filing by the Indian govt, Choksi will be lodged at Arthur Road jail in Mumbai upon extradition which adheres to the European standards of prisoner management. He will be provided all facilities, including clean drinking water and adequate food besides access to newspapers and TV and medical treatment of his choice.The Global Operations Centre of CBI is monitoring the developments in the case in direct coordination with foreign law enforcement agencies besides Interpol channels. It has also hired the services of a local law firm to bolster their case. Wanted in bank fraud cases to the tune of over Rs 13,900 crore, Choksi fled India in Jan 2018. He went to the US and to Antigua whose citizenship he had obtained a year before.
