Mehul Choksi’s extradition to India will not be simple, according to a PNB scandal whistleblower: He has a full wallet. similar to Vijay Mallya.

Shikha Verma
6 Min Read

Extraditing Mehul Choksi to India, who cheated the bank of Rs 13,000 crore with his nephew Nirav Modi, would be challenging, according to PNB scam whistleblower Hari Prasad SV, because his “wallet is full” and he has a “big booty of money.” He went on to say that, like Vijay Mallya, he would pay the top attorneys in Europe to circumvent the procedure. Following his firm, Kingfisher Airlines, defaulting on loans totaling more than Rs 9,000 crore, Mallya is currently evading Indian authorities.

“Tradition will not be a simple undertaking. He has plenty of money and, like Vijay Mallya, he will hire the top counsel in Europe. He told news agency ANI, “India is having a hard time getting him back.”

He went on to say, “The procedure we must adhere to when interacting with a foreign nation varies depending on the nation in question. The legal systems and laws will be established. I hope they can bring him back, but it takes a long time. He will not take it easy, thus that is the only chance. He employs the world’s top attorneys in his fleet. To begin with, he has a lot of

“Even though he was caught in Antigua, he managed to get out of it as he had a fleet of lawyers,” Hariprasad added, highlighting Choksi’s ability to evade legal procedures after being apprehended before. The Indian government will have a difficult time, but I hope they are successful this time.

The arrest of Mehul Choksi in Belgium is fantastic news for India and everyone who was defrauded by him. He added, “the most important thing is to get back all those billions of dollars he looted from India and stashed anywhere in the world.” “The government must bring him back to India as soon as possible, and justice must be delivered,” he added.

After pointing out the disparities in the balance sheets, Bengaluru-based businessman Hari Prasad wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on July 26, 2016, regarding a possible massive scam. According to him, Choksi defrauded hundreds of franchises throughout India, and several lawsuits were brought against him in various locations. He recalled, “Even though I had his arrest warrant from Bengaluru police, nothing really happened because he was smart enough to escape the law’s grasp.”

Indian authorities travel to Belgium

A group of Indian authorities is set to travel to Belgium after Choksi was arrested by Belgian authorities on April 12 in order to expedite the extradition process against Choksi. The arrest of Mehul Choksi took place on Saturday, April 12, 2025. He is being held pending the outcome of additional legal actions. He has been guaranteed access to his legal counsel. It is confirmed by the Belgian Federal Public Service of Justice that Choksi has been the subject of an extradition request from Indian authorities, the agency stated.

Choksi had intended to escape to Switzerland for medical care and settle there when he was arrested. It would take him at least a week to apply for bail.

Mehul Choksi, my client, was arrested in Belgium and is still being held. In order to challenge this, we will first begin the appeals procedure, after which we will ask that he be released from prison. His poor health and the fact that he is receiving cancer treatment are the main reasons for the plea, according to India Today, which cited his attorney Vijay Aggarwal.

Mehul Choksi arrested in Belgium: Timeline of events

2017: Mehul Choksi became a citizen of Antigua by means of the citizenship-by-investment scheme.

2018: Mehul Choksi moved in Antigua after fleeing to the United States just weeks before the scheme was discovered.

2019 saw the arrest of Nirav Modi, Choksi’s nephew, who was a co-accused in one of the largest banking scandals, in London. He is still incarcerated in the UK after exhausting all legal avenues to prevent extradition to India.

2023: Despite India’s plea for Mehul Choksi’s extradition, Interpol canceled the Red Notice that had been issued against him.

2024: According to sources, Choksi and his spouse relocated from Antigua to Belgium, and they were also apparently thinking about relocating to Geneva, Switzerland.

2025: Choksi’s attorney told a Mumbai special court that he is now receiving treatment for blood cancer in Antwerp, Belgium.

Choksi received his F-Residency card from Belgium two weeks prior to his detention.

Who is Mehul Choksi?

Mehul Choksi is wanted by Indian police and is one of the co-accused in the PNB scandal. The now-defunct Gitanjali Group, which had thousands of stores throughout India, was owned by him.

Choksi was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) in May 1959 to Chinubhai Choksi. He has two kids and a son and finished his formal education at Gujarat’s GD Modi College.In 1975, Choksi entered the gem and jewelry business, and in 1985, he succeeded his father at Gitanjali Gems. The business grew under his direction, moving beyond its original emphasis on polished and raw diamonds.

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