A COURT in Antwerp on Friday cleared the extradition of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, noting that his arrest by the Belgian authorities on India’s request was valid, officials in the know of the development said. The order has come as a strong validation for India’s case seeking his extradition, with Choksi having the option of appealing against the decision in a superior court in Belgium, they said. “The order has come in our favour. The court has termed his arrest by the Belgian authorities on India’s request valid.

 

The first legal step in getting him extradited is now clear,” a senior official said. Belgian prosecutors were aided by Indian officials from theExternal Affairs Ministry and theCBI in putting forthstrong arguments onChoksi’s allegedcrime in orchestrating a Rs 13,000 crorescam in the PunjabNational Bank in collusion with hisnephew Nirav Modi. The prosecutorstold the court that heremains a flight risk and cannotbe released from prison, the officials said. After hearing the Belgian prosecutors and Choksi’s defencelawyers during the hearings inmid-September, the court concluded that his arrest was valid. Choksi (66) was arrested inBelgiumonApril11on thebasis of the extraditionrequest sentby theCBI, they said.His bail applications have been rejected by different courts in that country.

 

India has also assured the Belgian authorities that if extradited, Choksi would be housed in Barrack No. 12 at the Arthur Road jail in Mumbai, with no chance of overcrowding or solitary confinement, as atleast one more economic offender is expected tobehousedinhiscell. The Union Home Ministry informed the Belgian authorities througha September4communique that the personal living space for each inmate in Barack No. 12 is in line with and fully meets the minimum space requirement of the Committee for thePrevention ofTorture and Inhuman or Degrading TreatmentorPunishment (CPT) of Europe. Choksi had fled to Antigua and Barbuda in the Carribbean where he had taken citizenship.Afterhewasstopped inBelgium, theCBI, theEAM,and the Home Ministry swung into action to get him extradited to India to face the law.