Antwerp Court greenlights Mehul Choksi’s extradition to India

In a major blow to fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, the Antwerp Court of Appeal has approved the execution of two Indian arrest warrants, paving the way for his potential extradition to face trial in the multi-billion-dollar Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, the Belgian authorities confirmed to WION. The decision, delivered by the ‘Kamer van Inbeschuldigingstelling’ (Chamber of Accusation) on October 17, 2025, overturns Choksi’s appeal against a lower court ruling from November 29, 2024.

The court evaluated India’s extradition request through a six-step legal framework, confirming a valid treaty between Belgium and India, Choksi’s status as a foreign national, and the applicability of dual criminality for most charges. The Indian warrants, issued by a Mumbai Special Judge on May 23, 2018, and June 15, 2021, accuse Choksi of serious offences, including criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and embezzlement—crimes punishable under Belgian law with imprisonment exceeding one year. The court also ruled out any statute of limitations, either in Belgium or India, clearing legal hurdles for extradition.

However, the court rejected one charge—tampering or destroying evidence—from the 2021 warrant, citing a lack of equivalent offence under Belgian law, thus failing the principle of reciprocity.

The businessman, accused of defrauding PNB of over Rs 13,000 crore, fled India in January 2018 and acquired Antiguian citizenship. His dramatic disappearance from Antigua in 2021 and subsequent capture in Dominica had stalled earlier extradition efforts.

With the Antwerp ruling, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inches closer to bringing Choksi to justice. He has 15 days to appeal to Belgium’s Court of Cassation on legal grounds, but no filing has been reported yet.