New Delhi: Fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi, a key figure in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan fraud case, has been confirmed to be in Belgium, according to the Belgian foreign ministry.
In an official statement, Belgium acknowledged his presence in the country and emphasized that they are closely monitoring the situation, stating they attach great importance to the case.
However, the ministry refrained from commenting on specific cases.
Belgium has been contacted by Indian authorities, who are now initiating the process to extradite Choksi back to India, as reported by the news website Associate Times.
Choksi, 65, is wanted for his alleged involvement in the Rs 13,500-crore PNB scam, alongside his nephew Nirav Modi.
Choksi has been residing in Antwerp with his wife, Preeti Choksi, a Belgian citizen.
There have been unconfirmed reports that they acquired an ‘F Residency Card’ in Belgium.
Mehul Choksi had previously left Antigua and Barbuda for medical treatment, despite retaining citizenship of the Caribbean island nation.
His whereabouts became a topic of international discussion after Antigua’s Foreign Minister, EP Chet Greene, revealed his departure during his visit to India for the Raisina Dialogue, India’s annual conference on geopolitics.
Choksi and his nephew, Nirav Modi, fled India in January 2018, shortly before the PNB scam was exposed.
Choksi had acquired citizenship of Antigua two months before the fraud came to light. In 2021, Choksi was captured in Dominica while attempting to flee to Cuba.
Choksi has continuously claimed that the charges against him are part of a political conspiracy and that the Enforcement Directorate’s actions to seize his properties in India were unlawful.