In a major breakthrough, fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi was arrested in Belgium on Saturday, April 12, following an extradition request by Indian law enforcement agencies. Choksi, who is allegedly involved in the Rs 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, was apprehended after a years-long pursuit by Indian authorities.

This arrest comes after India's first attempt to extradite Choksi was thwarted by the government of Antigua in 2021. The earlier request was dismissed, and Choksi had claimed that Indian officials attempted to kidnap him from Dominica, where he alleged he was honey-trapped, an argument he still uses in his defense.

As India prepares to contest the extradition proceedings, sources indicate that a high-level Indian delegation, including officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, along with representatives from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED), is set to travel to Belgium. Their objective is to attend court hearings and push for the fast-tracking of legal proceedings to bring Choksi back to face charges in India.

This is India’s second attempt to secure Choksi's return, and the legal battle has intensified as Choksi’s defense team is preparing to contest the extradition on medical grounds. Sources suggest that Choksi had moved to Belgium seeking cancer treatment and is using his health condition as one of the key arguments in his defense. Furthermore, his lawyers have raised the issue of his citizenship, arguing that Choksi is no longer an Indian citizen, as he holds Antiguan nationality.