Mehul Choksi to stay in Antwerp jail till June 13 as court defers trial
Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi will remain in a prison in Antwerp for another month as a court there, after hearing arguments on extradition proceedings from the Indian government and his legal team, adjourned the matter for June 13, people familiar with the development said.
Choksi, officials quoted above said, didn't press for bail at the hearing on Friday.
Accused in the Punjab National Bank fraud and five similar cases, Choksi was arrested on April 11 by the Antwerp police based on an extradition request sent by India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last year. He has been lodged in a prison there since then. While rejecting his plea for bail on April 22, a court of appeal in Antwerp said the fears about him fleeing from Belgian authorities are legitimate.
Also Read | CBI sends fresh proof before Mehul Choksi's hearing
'There were arguments today on the validity of India's extradition request during which both sides (Belgian prosecutors on behalf of India and Choksi's legal team) made their submissions. They (Choksi's legal team) didn't insist on bail,' said one of the officers cited above and familiar with the court proceedings that took place on Friday.
During the hearing, this officer said, Indian officials submitted a stack of documentary evidence before the Antwerp court. HT reported on Friday that CBI sent fresh warrants and evidence in four more fraud cases to the Belgian prosecutors to strengthen New Delhi's extradition request.
The federal agency, a second officer said, is also set to send its team to Belgium to brief the Belgian prosecutors and hire a legal team before the next hearing on June 13.
Challenging the extradition's legality, Choksi's lawyers argued on Friday that India sent its request in Hindi and Belgian languages even though the charge sheets and all court documents in India are in English, said the second officer.
Also Read | CBI applies for non-bailable warrant against Choksi in ₹55 cr bank fraud case
Choksi's lawyers also argued that India didn't inform Belgium authorities that Interpol, in 2022, withdrew a red notice issued against him, said the second officer.
This decision of Interpol has already been challenged by the CBI in the global police body and a decision is pending.
A second officer involved in the probe said on Friday that 'it is important that Mehul Choksi remain in prison for another month.'
'We have strong evidence and grounds to convince the Belgian courts that he is a habitual offender and jumps extradition proceedings as seen in the US and Antigua and Barbuda. So, when the matter comes up for hearing on June 13, we will vehemently oppose his release,' this officer said.
CBI filed six bank fraud cases against Choksi and his companies between 2018 and 2022 involving amounts totaling nearly ₹13,000 crore.
Choksi was tracked by the CBI to Belgium in July last year after which it approached the Belgian government with a formal extradition request.
The extradition was sought under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections – 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (destruction of evidence), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 477A (falsification of accounts), and sections 7 and 13 (bribery) of the prevention of corruption act.
Besides, CBI also invoked the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in its extradition request.
The Belgium government examined India's request at various levels and approved initiating action in the matter after it was convinced about the 'dual criminality' clause in the 1901 extradition treaty between two countries.
Choksi has evaded the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) -- which is conducting a parallel money laundering probe -- since 2018. After fleeing from India in January 2018, he acquired the citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Man accused of framing other man for deportation by writing letters threatening Trump's life
MILWAUKEE: A Wisconsin man is facing charges accusing him of forging a letter threatening President Donald Trump's life in an effort to get another man deported. Prosecutors said in a criminal complaint filed Monday that Demetric D. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Scott was behind a letter sent to state and federal officials with the return address and name of Ramón Morales Reyes. Scott was charged Monday with felony witness intimidation, identity theft and two counts of bail jumping. His attorney, Robert Hampton III, didn't immediately return an email from The Associated Press seeking comment. Immigration agents arrested Morales Reyes, 54, on May 21 after he dropped his child off at school in Milwaukee. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the arrest, saying he had written a letter threatening to kill Trump and would "self-deport" to Mexico. The announcement, which also was posted by the White House on its social media accounts, contained an image of the letter as well as a photo of Morales Reyes. But the claim started to unravel as investigators talked to Morales Reyes, who doesn't speak English fluently, and obtained a handwriting sample from him that was different than the handwriting in the letters, according to court documents. Morales Reyes is listed as a victim in the case involving Scott, who is awaiting trial in Milwaukee County Jail on armed robbery and aggravated battery charges. The trial is scheduled for July. Law enforcement officers listened to several calls Scott made from the jail in which he talked about letters that needed to be mailed and a plan to get someone picked up by ICE so Scott's trial could get dismissed, according to the criminal complaint. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He also admitted to police that he wrote the letters, documents said. Morales Reyes works as a dishwasher in Milwaukee, where he lives with his wife and three children. He had recently applied for a U visa, which is for people in the country illegally who become victims of serious crimes, said attorney Kime Abduli, who filed that application. Abduli told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Monday that she was glad Morales Reyes was being cleared of any involvement in the letter writing. His deportation defence lawyer, Cain Oulahan, wrote in an email Monday night that the main focus now is to secure Morales Reyes' release from custody and the next step will be to pursue any relief he may qualify for in immigration court. "While he has a U visa pending, those are unfortunately backlogged for years, so we will be looking at other options to keep him here with his family, which includes his three US citizen children," Oulahan wrote.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Man accused of framing other man for deportation by writing letters threatening Trump's life
MILWAUKEE — A Wisconsin man is facing charges accusing him of forging a letter threatening President Donald Trump's life in an effort to get another man deported. Prosecutors said in a criminal complaint filed Monday that Demetric D. Scott was behind a letter sent to state and federal officials with the return address and name of Ramón Morales Reyes. Scott was charged Monday with felony witness intimidation, identity theft and two counts of bail jumping. His attorney, Robert Hampton III, didn't immediately return an email from The Associated Press seeking comment. Immigration agents arrested Morales Reyes, 54, on May 21 after he dropped his child off at school in Milwaukee. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the arrest, saying he had written a letter threatening to kill Trump and would 'self-deport' to Mexico. The announcement, which also was posted by the White House on its social media accounts, contained an image of the letter as well as a photo of Morales Reyes. But the claim started to unravel as investigators talked to Morales Reyes, who doesn't speak English fluently, and obtained a handwriting sample from him that was different than the handwriting in the letters, according to court documents. Morales Reyes is listed as a victim in the case involving Scott, who is awaiting trial in Milwaukee County Jail on armed robbery and aggravated battery charges. The trial is scheduled for July. Law enforcement officers listened to several calls Scott made from the jail in which he talked about letters that needed to be mailed and a plan to get someone picked up by ICE so Scott's trial could get dismissed, according to the criminal complaint. He also admitted to police that he wrote the letters, documents said. Morales Reyes works as a dishwasher in Milwaukee, where he lives with his wife and three children. He had recently applied for a U visa, which is for people in the country illegally who become victims of serious crimes, said attorney Kime Abduli, who filed that application. Abduli told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Monday that she was glad Morales Reyes was being cleared of any involvement in the letter writing. His deportation defense lawyer, Cain Oulahan, wrote in an email Monday night that the main focus now is to secure Morales Reyes' release from custody and the next step will be to pursue any relief he may qualify for in immigration court. 'While he has a U visa pending, those are unfortunately backlogged for years, so we will be looking at other options to keep him here with his family, which includes his three US citizen children,' Oulahan wrote.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Karnal woman dies after setting herself ablaze due to in-laws' abuse
A 36-year-old woman from Karnal, Haryana, who had set herself on fire after allegedly enduring prolonged abuse by her husband and his family, died of her injuries on Sunday evening at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh. Her death coincided with her younger daughter's second birthday. According to police, a case has been registered at Assandh police station under Sections 85 (cruelty by husband or his relatives) and 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the woman's husband and brother-in-law. However, no arrests have been made yet. In a statement recorded on May 24, the victim told police that she had been subjected to ongoing physical and emotional abuse, especially after giving birth to daughters. 'They tortured me a lot. I set myself on fire. I did this out of sorrow,' she said, referring to the incident on May 21, when she poured oil on herself and set herself ablaze. She suffered third-degree burns over 70% of her body and had injury marks on her head, her sister stated. The woman also revealed that her husband tried to coerce her into lying about the cause of the fire. 'My husband told me to say there was fire in the curtains,' she said in her statement. Married for 11 years, the victim was a postgraduate in English (MA) but said her husband dismissed her education and forced her into a life of hardship in their village. She alleged being forced into strenuous labour, face constant verbal abuse, and financial neglect, especially after the birth of her second daughter. After the birth of their first daughter, she was reportedly sent back to her parents' home within six months. Following the birth of their second child two years ago, a similar situation occurred. Her sister recalled that although they had attempted reconciliation and sent her back, the victim never disclosed the full extent of the abuse at the time. In her final days, while admitted to the burn unit ICU at PGIMER, the woman confided in her family. She revealed that her husband would often keep her phone on recording, which made her fearful of speaking out. Her family believes this intimidation prevented her from seeking help earlier. The victim's parents have accused her husband and his family of playing a direct role in her death. They are currently awaiting the postmortem report.
