Mehul Choksi Arrested In Belgium On India's Extradition Request: Report

Fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi, wanted in connection with the Punjab National Bank loan fraud case, has been arrested by the police in Belgium, a report claimed.

The 65-year-old was arrested on Saturday at the request of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and is currently in jail, Economic Times reported.

The police referred to two open-ended arrest warrants issued against Choksi by a Mumbai court while placing him under arrest. These were dated May 23, 2018, and June 15, 2021, the report said.

Choksi, however, is expected to seek bail and an immediate release, citing ill health and other reasons.

Choksi is wanted for his alleged involvement in Rs 13,500-crore loan fraud in Punjab National Bank. He has been living in Antwerp with his wife, Preeti Choksi.

A citizen of Antigua and Barbuda, he left the island nation for medical treatment.

His nephew, Nirav Modi, co-accused in the same case, is awaiting extradition from London.

They fled India in January 2018, weeks before the scam in PNB - the country's second largest bank - surfaced.

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