Fugitive Choksi Now "Living in Antwerp"
April 02, 25
(IDEX Online) - Fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi - a prime suspect in the $1.85bn Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case - is now reported to be living in Antwerp.
He left India - where he owned and operated the Gitanjali Group, the 4,000-outlet jewelry retailer - days before news of the PNB scandal broke in January 2018.
He then took up residence on the Caribbean archipelago nation of Antigua and Barbuda, which has no extradition agreement with India.
Choksi, 66, (pictured) whose wife Preeti is a Belgian citizen, is now understood to be in Belgium for medical treatment.
The Belgian government says it's aware that Choksi is in the country, according to news reports in India. Belgium and India have a long-standing extradition treaty and India has reportedly asked for him to be extradited.
Belgium's Federal Public Service (FPS) Foreign Affairs, confirmed it was "aware of the case" but could not comment.
Choksi's nephew and co-accused Nirav Modi is currently in a British jail, contesting his extradition to India.