PNB Scam
Mehul Choksi won't be given solitary confinement if extradited: India's assurance to Belgium
New Delhi/IBNS: India has assured Belgium that fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi won't be given solitary confinement if extradited, media reports said.
India said the diamond merchant, if extradited, will be kept in humane conditions already designated.
The Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam accused will be kept at Barrack No. 12 of Arthur Road Jail Complex in Mumbai, the details India shared with Belgium authorities says.
As per the details, Choksi will be given three sq.metres of personal space excluding furniture, adequate food and clean drinking water, more than an hour for exercise and recreation daily.
The cell, where the accused will be kept, won't be overcrowded, will have adequate light and ventilation. It will be equipped with basic amenities including proper toilets and 24/7 medical facilities.
Earlier this year, Choksi was arrested by the Belgium authorities in Antwerp.
Indian authorities had earlier reached out to their Belgian counterparts to begin the process of his extradition. He was living in Antwerp with his wife, Preeti Choksi, who is a Belgian national.
Choksi is wanted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly defrauding PNB of ₹13,850 crore.
He was previously believed to be residing in Antigua and Barbuda.
However, he left the Caribbean nation for medical treatment, while still holding Antiguan citizenship, Antigua’s Foreign Minister EP Chet Greene told ANI on March 19.
The 65-year-old diamond trader has been living in Belgium since November 15, 2023, using an "F residency card," reportedly obtained with the assistance of his Belgian wife.
This residency status allows a third-country national to stay in Belgium under specific conditions if they are accompanied by their spouse.
According to Associates Times, Choksi allegedly used false and fabricated documents to secure residency in Belgium and avoid extradition.
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