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After fugitive Indian businessman Mehul Choksi was arrested in Belgium over the weekend, his legal team has quickly moved into action, preparing to challenge his custody and possible extradition to India. Choksi’s lawyer, Vijay Aggarwal, said they will soon file an appeal for his release, pointing to his serious health issues and cancer treatment as key reasons.
Choksi, who is wanted in India in connection with the massive ₹13,850 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, was taken into custody in Belgium after authorities confirmed his location. Now, as India eyes a long-awaited extradition, Choksi’s lawyers are preparing for what could be another lengthy legal battle overseas.
“We Will Be Requesting That He Be Pulled Out of Prison”
Speaking from Delhi, Choksi’s lawyer Vijay Aggarwal confirmed the arrest and said that their priority now is to seek bail.
“My client, Mehul Choksi, has been arrested in Belgium, and at the moment, he is in custody. We will be starting the process of filing an appeal against this, and then, as a process of appeal, we will be requesting that he be pulled out of prison. The major ground for the plea is his ill health and that he is undergoing cancer treatment, and of course, he is not a flight risk at all,” Aggarwal told ANI.
Choksi, 65, has been receiving treatment for cancer in Belgium, where he relocated after leaving Antigua earlier this year. His lawyer emphasized that his client is not trying to run away but is simply seeking medical care and will fight his case legally.
Why Extradition Won’t Be Simple
Despite India’s growing efforts to bring Choksi back, his legal team believes the extradition process won’t be fast or easy.
“There is no push. It is a process. Non-bailable warrants have been issued against him since 2018. It is a prerequisite for extradition that there has to be an open-ended, non-bailable warrant. Earlier, they tried to pick him up from Dominica, where they failed. So then, by the Dominican court order, my client was getting his treatment in Antigua. For his medical treatment, he had to go to Belgium, and he has been there getting his treatment for the cancer. Arrest is a process,” Aggarwal said.
He explained that before any country extradites someone, certain legal steps must be followed: first comes the arrest, followed by bail proceedings, and then arguments about community ties, health conditions, and whether the person poses a flight risk.
“Whenever for any country, there is an extradition request made by another country wherein they have a treaty. First of all, the person has to be arrested, then the person has to show that he’s got community ties, and then we have to show that he is not a flight risk and that there is a medical condition. So that’s the only ground,” he added.
Choksi’s Past: From Diamond Tycoon to Fugitive
Choksi, once a well-known jeweler and owner of the Gitanjali Group, fled India on January 2, 2018, just days before investigators uncovered the multi-crore banking fraud. Along with his nephew, Nirav Modi, he is accused of cheating the Punjab National Bank using fake Letters of Undertaking issued between 2011 and 2017.
Both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have filed several cases against Choksi and Nirav Modi. The scam shook India’s banking system and remains one of the largest financial frauds in the country’s history.
Whistleblower: “He Will Use the Best Lawyers in Europe”
Hariprasad SV, the whistleblower who first brought the PNB fraud to light, said it will not be easy for India to bring Choksi back.
“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 Mallya has been doing. I don’t think it is going to be easy for India to get him back,” Hariprasad told ANI.
He pointed out that this isn’t the first time authorities have tried and failed to get Choksi extradited. In 2021, Choksi was briefly detained in Dominica, but legal complications led to his release and return to Antigua.
Hariprasad also mentioned that Choksi had allegedly defrauded over 100 franchise owners across India, many of whom filed separate cases against him in different cities.
“The legal system in India is undoubtedly very great, but the extradition process depends on the country we are dealing with. This case is not going to be easy, as he has so much money,” he added.
What’s Next in the Case?
Choksi’s arrest in Belgium could be a turning point, but his legal team is already putting up resistance. With his health issues at the center of his legal argument, his lawyers will likely aim to delay or stop extradition entirely.
For Indian authorities, the road ahead remains challenging. They must now navigate international laws, medical claims, and the involvement of top European legal experts. Despite the arrest, bringing Choksi back to India may take a long time—if it happens at all.
