The notorious fugitive and diamond merchant Mehul Choksi, primary accused in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, has been apprehended in Belgium following requests by Indian security agencies.
Choksi, who had traveled to Belgium seeking medical treatment, was arrested on April 11th by Belgian authorities. This arrest was executed upon insistence by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Mehul Choksi stands as the central figure in a massive scam involving over 13,500 crore INR linked to PNB. Since 2018, Choksi has been residing in Antigua. The ED has filed three charge sheets against him. In 2019, the ED informed the Bombay High Court that Choksi is a 'fugitive and absconder'.
Source: aajtak
After the PNB scam was revealed in 2018, Choksi fled from India. His nephew, Nirav Modi, also implicated in the scam, faces extradition proceedings in London.
In May 2021, rumors surfaced of Choksi going missing from Antigua, later being reportedly found in Dominica. The CBI appealed to Interpol for a Red Corner Notice against Choksi, resulting in a notice being issued in 2018. Choksi sought its removal, alleging in a petition that Indian agencies 'kidnapped' him to Dominica in 2021, prompting Interpol to revoke the notice.
In 2018, the ED temporarily seized assets worth 1,217 crore INR belonging to Choksi, including two luxury apartments in Mumbai, a mall in Kolkata, 27 acres of land on the Mumbai-Goa highway, 101 acres in Tamil Nadu, properties in Nashik, Nagpur, Andhra Pradesh, bungalows in Alibaug, and an office in Surat.
