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While fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi sits in a Belgian jail awaiting extradition, his once-luxurious Mumbai apartments are falling apart—and racking up a mountain of unpaid bills. Residents of Gokul Apartments, a residential complex in Malabar Hill, say Choksi owes over Rs 63 lakh in maintenance dues for his three flats and hasn’t made a single payment in more than seven years.
“He has not paid maintenance for the last seven years. The dues without interest come to around Rs 63 lakh,” a society member told ANI on Monday.
Choksi reportedly owns three units in the building, located on the 9th, 10th, and 11th floors. But it’s not just the money that’s troubling the society—residents say the 11th floor, which is technically the terrace, has been “illegally occupied” by Choksi.
Flats falling apart, trees growing inside
The flats, which have been abandoned since Choksi fled India, have started to deteriorate, raising safety concerns for the rest of the building.
“Big trees have started growing inside. Their roots can damage the building’s structural integrity. This is an additional burden for us despite having no fault,” the society member said.
According to him, the problem got worse in 2020, when the building underwent a major renovation. The cost came to about Rs 30–35 lakh per flat, and since Choksi owns three, his share would have been around Rs 95 lakh.
Despite being unoccupied, the flats are now a liability for the residents, who say they’re stuck with the damage and financial strain.
“We trust the legal system and Enforcement Directorate officials, and we hope the dues will eventually be recovered,” the member added.
Property under ED attachment
The three flats are among the many assets that have been attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the massive bank fraud case against Choksi. The agency has been trying to recover money linked to the Rs 13,850-crore Punjab National Bank scam, in which Choksi is a prime accused.
He allegedly worked with his nephew, Nirav Modi, and a group of bank officials, to illegally obtain Letters of Undertaking and Foreign Letters of Credit from PNB between 2014 and 2017. This led to a direct loss of Rs 6,097.63 crore to the bank.
Choksi arrested in Belgium, extradition process begins
In a major development, Belgian authorities confirmed on Monday that Mehul Choksi was arrested on April 12 and is currently in custody.
“The Belgian Federal Public Service of Justice can confirm that Mr Mehul Choksi was arrested on Saturday, 12th of April 2025. He is being detained in anticipation of further judicial proceedings. Access to his legal counsel has been assured,” the department said in a statement.
It also confirmed that India has submitted a formal extradition request, but no additional details were provided.
“The Indian authorities have introduced an extradition request for Mr Choksi. As is standard in individual cases, no further details can be released at this stage,” the statement added.
On the run since 2018
Choksi, now 65 years old, fled India on January 2, 2018, just before the massive scam came to light. Since then, he has bounced between countries, including Antigua and Dominica, as Indian agencies continued to chase him across international borders.
His latest arrest in Belgium is seen as a breakthrough moment in India’s efforts to bring him back to face justice.
