Belgium’s Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal filed by fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, marking a critical step forward in India’s long-running efforts to secure his extradition in connection with the Punjab National Bank fraud. The ruling, delivered on Tuesday by the Court of Cassation, upheld the earlier order of the Antwerp Court of Appeal, which had declared India’s extradition request lawful and enforceable. With this decision, Choksi’s attempt to overturn one of the final legal barriers in the extradition process has come to an end, significantly narrowing his options for relief abroad.
Choksi had moved the Court of Cassation in October after the appellate court ruled on October 17 that India’s request met the legal standards required under Belgian law. The appeal sought to challenge the enforceability of the extradition order, but the Supreme Court found no grounds to interfere with the decision, effectively allowing the extradition proceedings to advance. The outcome reinforces Belgium’s cooperation with India in a case that has spanned several jurisdictions and involved complex legal challenges since 2018.
The businessman was arrested in Antwerp earlier this year after authorities executed India’s request for his detention. Since his arrest, he has remained in custody, with a local court recently rejecting his plea for bail on the grounds that he posed a significant flight risk. Choksi has been resisting extradition through multiple legal avenues even as investigative agencies in India, including the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation, continue to pursue cases of fraud and money laundering against him.
In India, Choksi’s legal troubles have deepened further after a special court in Mumbai rejected his application seeking to halt proceedings aimed at declaring him a Fugitive Economic Offender. The request, filed through his legal representatives Vijay Aggarwal, Rahul Agarwal, and Jasmine Purani, sought to block the Enforcement Directorate’s move under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act. The special court, however, ruled last month that there was no merit in stopping the process and allowed the proceedings to continue.
Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi remain key figures accused in the massive fraud involving the Punjab National Bank’s Brady House branch, where officials were allegedly bribed to facilitate Letters of Undertaking and foreign letters of credit. Investigators allege that the duo siphoned off more than Rs 13,000 crore by fraudulently securing credit from overseas banks. While Choksi has been held in Belgium, Modi continues to fight his own extradition case from a London prison, using various legal measures to delay his return to India.
The latest decision by Belgium’s highest court strengthens India’s position and brings authorities a step closer to bringing Choksi back to face charges. With the legal avenues narrowing in both Europe and elsewhere, the developments signal a critical juncture in one of India’s most high-profile international financial crime cases.
