Belgian court rejects Choksi’s bail plea, says his lawyer

A Belgian court on Tuesday rejected the bail plea of Mehul Choksi, the diamond merchant who is a prime accused in the Rs 13,000-crore PNB fraud case, his lawyer said.

The diamantaire was arrested in Antwerp by the Belgian police on April 12 based on an extradition request moved by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

His lawyer Vijay Aggarwal said the bail plea of his client has been rejected during a court hearing on Tuesday.

Choksi will contest his extradition from jail custody now, a senior official said.

Choksi (65) was located in Belgium last year after he reached there sometime in November 2023 on the grounds of getting medical treatment.

He had been staying in Antigua after leaving India in 2018 and had taken citizenship of the Caribbean country even though his Indian citizenship is stated to be valid.

At least two open-ended arrest warrants, issued by a special court in Mumbai in 2018 and 2021, have been shared by the Indian agencies with their Belgian counterparts as part of the extradition request, official sources had said earlier.