Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi has approached the Supreme Court of Belgium, challenging the Antwerp Court of Appeals’ decision last month that cleared the way for his extradition to India.
According to Ken Witpas, Public Prosecutor at the Antwerp Court of Appeal, Choksi filed the appeal before the Court of Cassation — Belgium’s highest court — on October 30. Witpas clarified that the appeal is limited strictly to legal questions and not to the merits of the case, meaning that the execution of the extradition order will remain suspended while the proceedings are underway.
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The move follows the October 17 ruling by the Antwerp Court of Appeals, which dismissed Choksi’s plea claiming that he would not receive a fair trial if extradited to India. The court observed that the documents and arguments presented by the 64-year-old businessman were insufficient to “concretely prove” any real, present, or serious risk of torture, inhuman treatment, or denial of justice in India.
Earlier, on November 29, 2024, the pre-trial chamber of the Antwerp District Court had approved Choksi’s extradition, a decision later upheld by a four-member indictment chamber of the appellate court.
Choksi, wanted in connection with the ₹13,500-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, has been residing in Antigua and Barbuda since 2018, after obtaining citizenship there. His latest legal challenge now delays the process of bringing him back to India to face trial.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
