Fugitive Indian businessman Mehul Choksi has been arrested in Belgium, as confirmed by the Belgian Federal Public Service of Justice on April 14, 2025. Choksi, who fled India on January 2, 2018, is wanted by Indian authorities for his alleged involvement in defrauding the Punjab National Bank (PNB) of ₹13,850 crore.

He was detained on April 12 and is currently awaiting judicial proceedings, with access to legal counsel assured. The Belgian authorities also confirmed that India has submitted an extradition request for Choksi, but further details regarding the case remain undisclosed at this stage.

Mehul Choksi, aged 65, is accused of orchestrating a massive financial fraud alongside his nephew Nirav Modi. Between 2014 and 2017, Choksi allegedly colluded with associates and PNB officials to fraudulently obtain Letters of Undertaking and Foreign Letters of Credit from the bank, resulting in a wrongful loss of ₹6,097.63 crore to PNB. The case has been under investigation by India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED for several years.

Following Choksi's arrest, his lawyer Vijay Aggarwal expressed concerns about his client’s human rights and health condition if extradited to India. During a press conference, Aggarwal stated that the defense team would challenge the extradition on two primary grounds: the political nature of the case and concerns over proper medical treatment for Choksi in India. Aggarwal claimed that Choksi's human rights would be "greatly affected" upon extradition and alleged potential harassment by political parties in India. He further argued that Choksi had not been declared a fugitive since he had remained cooperative with Indian investigative agencies.

The arrest marks a significant development in the long-running legal battle surrounding one of India’s largest banking frauds. While Belgium has confirmed Choksi’s detention and India’s extradition request, the judicial process is expected to involve complex legal challenges from Choksi’s defence team.

ANI