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A Belgian court, the Court of Appeals, in Antwerp had in October termed the arrest warrants issued by a Mumbai special court as “enforceable”, allowing Choksi’s extradition.
Mehul Choksi has appealed against the Antwerp court’s order declaring India’s extradition request “enforceable,” with the process now on hold in Belgium’s top court. (IMAGE: AFP)
Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi has challenged his extradition order to India before Belgium’s Court of Cassation, the country’s highest judicial authority and roughly equivalent to India’s Supreme Court, officials said this week.
Ken Witpas, a Belgian official, confirmed that the appeal was filed on October 30, adding that “the execution of the extradition is suspended” while the case is under review.
Choksi has appealed against the October 17 order of the Antwerp Court of Appeals, which had termed India’s extradition request “enforceable.” The court had earlier ruled that Choksi, the main accused in the ₹13,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, faced “no risk” of being denied a fair trial or subjected to ill-treatment if sent back to India.
“This appeal is strictly limited to legal merits and will be judged by the Court of Cassation. During this procedure, the execution of the extradition is suspended,” Witpas said.
On October 17, a four-member indictment chamber of the Antwerp Court of Appeals upheld an earlier order issued by the pre-trial chamber of the district court on November 29, 2024. It found no irregularity in the arrest warrants issued by a Mumbai special court in May 2018 and June 2021, ruling them “enforceable” and clearing the way for Choksi’s extradition.
According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Choksi siphoned off ₹6,400 crore out of the ₹13,000 crore in the PNB scam. He fled India in January 2018, days before the fraud came to light, and later acquired citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda. He was recently located in Belgium, where he had reportedly travelled for medical treatment.
New Delhi has assured Brussels number of times regarding Choksi’s safety, the charges that he would face during trial in India, prison arrangements, human rights and medical needs.
India in August 27 last year had sent an extradition request to Belgium based on arrest warrants issued by the Mumbai special court. Following this, the public prosecutor at the Court of First Instance in Antwerp, Division Turnhout, initiated an action on November 25, 2024, seeking the enforcement of arrest warrants issued by the Mumbai court.
The pre-trial chamber of the Antwerp District Court, Turnhout Division, in its order dated November 29, 2024, declared that the arrest warrants against Choksi issued by the Mumbai court were enforceable, except for the order related to “causing the disappearance of evidence of the crime”.
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a Chief Sub-Editor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over seven years of experience during which he has covered se…Read More
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a Chief Sub-Editor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over seven years of experience during which he has covered se… Read More
Brussels, Belgium
November 03, 2025, 7:25 PM IST
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