Fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank (PNB) of ?13,850 crore, has been traced to Antwerp, Belgium, where he resides with his Belgian citizen wife, Preeti Choksi. According to a report by Associates Times, Indian authorities have reached out to their Belgian counterparts to initiate extradition proceedings.

Choksi, previously believed to be in Antigua and Barbuda, left the Caribbean nation for medical treatment but remains its citizen, confirmed Antigua’s Foreign Minister E.P. Chet Greene. Reports suggest he secured an “F residency card” in Belgium on November 15, 2023, using allegedly fabricated documents to resist extradition. This status allows him to reside in Belgium legally, with possibilities of permanent residency if extended.

Concerns are growing that Choksi may attempt to relocate to Switzerland for treatment at Hirslanden Klinik Aarau, potentially invoking humanitarian grounds to avoid returning to India. If his Belgian residency converts to permanent status, he could gain travel privileges within Europe, complicating India’s extradition efforts.

Having fled India in January 2018 when the PNB scam surfaced, Choksi has repeatedly claimed he cannot return due to circumstances beyond his control. In May 2024, he contested his status as a fugitive economic offender in a Mumbai special court, as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sought to seize his assets.

This isn’t Choksi’s first evasion attempt. In 2021, he disappeared from Antigua, falsely alleging an Indian government abduction, before being found in Dominica. Meanwhile, his nephew and co-accused Nirav Modi remains embroiled in legal proceedings in the UK, fighting extradition to India.

India, which has already recovered ?22,280 crore from fugitive offenders, is now intensifying efforts to bring Choksi back to face justice.

Fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank (PNB) of ?13,850 crore, has been traced to Antwerp, Belgium, where he resides with his Belgian citizen wife, Preeti Choksi. According to a report by Associates Times, Indian authorities have reached out to their Belgian counterparts to initiate extradition proceedings.

Choksi, previously believed to be in Antigua and Barbuda, left the Caribbean nation for medical treatment but remains its citizen, confirmed Antigua’s Foreign Minister E.P. Chet Greene. Reports suggest he secured an “F residency card” in Belgium on November 15, 2023, using allegedly fabricated documents to resist extradition. This status allows him to reside in Belgium legally, with possibilities of permanent residency if extended.

Concerns are growing that Choksi may attempt to relocate to Switzerland for treatment at Hirslanden Klinik Aarau, potentially invoking humanitarian grounds to avoid returning to India. If his Belgian residency converts to permanent status, he could gain travel privileges within Europe, complicating India’s extradition efforts.

Having fled India in January 2018 when the PNB scam surfaced, Choksi has repeatedly claimed he cannot return due to circumstances beyond his control. In May 2024, he contested his status as a fugitive economic offender in a Mumbai special court, as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sought to seize his assets.

This isn’t Choksi’s first evasion attempt. In 2021, he disappeared from Antigua, falsely alleging an Indian government abduction, before being found in Dominica. Meanwhile, his nephew and co-accused Nirav Modi remains embroiled in legal proceedings in the UK, fighting extradition to India.

India, which has already recovered ?22,280 crore from fugitive offenders, is now intensifying efforts to bring Choksi back to face justice.