Mehul Choksi's bail rejected by Belgium court, legal team plans fresh appeal

Brussels [Belgium], April 22 (ANI): A court in Belgium has denied the bail plea of Mehul Choksi, a key accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan fraud case. A three-judge bench heard arguments in Dutch before ruling against granting bail.

Choksi was arrested in Belgium last week following an official request from Indian authorities. His lawyer, Vijay Aggarwal, was seen in Antwerp ahead of the bail hearing and later met Choksi in jail.

Speaking to ANI, Vijay Aggarwal expressed disappointment over the court's decision but noted that Belgian law allows multiple bail applications. He said, "Unfortunately, my client has been denied bail today.

However, in Belgium, we can apply for bail as many times as needed. We will carefully consider the court's observations and submit a fresh bail plea on new grounds soon."

Aggarwal also reiterated that the legal team would contest his extradition on two main grounds--the political nature of the case and concerns regarding his medical condition and treatment in India.

He earlier stated that Choksi has cooperated with Indian investigative agencies and has repeatedly offered to join the investigation via video conferencing due to his health issues.

The legal team earlier also pointed out procedural prerequisites for extradition, including the issuance of non-bailable warrants since 2018. Aggarwal noted that previous attempts to extradite Choksi from Dominica had failed, and Choksi had been receiving medical treatment in Antigua before travelling to Belgium for cancer care. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)