The highest court of Belgium rejects fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi’s appeal against extradition to India.
File Photo: IANS
The highest court of Belgium, the Court of Cassation, on Thursday rejected fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi’s appeal against extradition to India. The court affirmed that the objections raised by Choksi lacked substance. In its judgment, the court dismissed all his appeals as he failed to establish any legal or factual ground warranting interference with earlier orders permitting his extradition.
Stating that all required formalities have been duly completed, the Court of Cassation directed Choksi to bear the cost of EUR104.01.
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The Belgian Supreme Court upheld the ruling of the Antwerp Court of Appeal’s Chamber of Indictment given on October 17, 2025. It reiterated that the extradition proceedings complied with the domestic law and European human rights standards.
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Choksi had raised three grounds of challenge, including alleged violations of his right to a fair trial, claims of abduction, and apprehensions over prison conditions in India. The court has dismissed all three grounds of challenge.
Responding to Choksi’s appeal for fair trial rights, the Court of Cassation clarified that all related concerns have been addressed at the appellate level.
The court observed that the Chamber of Indictment exercises full jurisdiction and follows an adversarial process. It has the provision that permits the requested person to put forth all relevant documents. Consequently, the court ruled that Choksi’s fair trial rights under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights had not been violated.
The court also dismissed Choksi’s reliance on the Interpol Commission for the Control of Files (CCF) decision to support his claim that he was abducted from Antigua with the involvement of Indian authorities.
Choksi had also raised concerns over prison conditions in India. Addressing his issue of the alleged risk of torture and inhuman treatment in Indian prisons, Belgium’s top court mentioned about the explicit assurances provided by India to the Belgian authorities.
As per the court statement, the Government of India has given explicit assurance that Choksi will be imprisoned in Mumbai at Arthur Road Jail. He will be lodged in Barrack No. 12, a secure ward with two cells and private sanitation facilities.
Mehul Choksi, along with his nephew Nirav Modi, is accused of committing a fraud of nearly USD 2 billion against Punjab National Bank. Numerous charge sheets have been filed against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in India. Also, many non-bailable warrants are pending against him in connection with the case.
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