"Toughest": Former CBI Director On Mehul Choksi's Extradition To India

Stressing that the extradition of fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi from Europe is the "toughest", former CBI Director AP Singh said that the Indian authorities are now tasked with presenting concrete evidence and ensuring that Belgian courts are satisfied with India's prison conditions and commitment to a fair trial.

Speaking to ANI, Singh recalled that Abu Salem was the last person extradited from the European Union 20 years ago.

"Mehul Choksi has been arrested at the request of the Indian government. Now we have to give all the evidence of him scamming the PNB. The legal process will take time. Choksi in his defence, can say that he has some legal status in Belgium since his wife is a Belgian citizen. We must convince the Belgian government and courts that he will be looked after and his medical condition will be addressed. We will have to convince them that our prison conditions are good and we will give him a fair trial. Getting somebody from the EU is the toughest. The last person extradited from the EU was Abu Salem 20 years ago," AP Singh said.

Former Director of Enforcement Directorate (ED) Karnal Singh emphasised that the agencies will succeed in bringing Choksi back to India as they have a lot of evidence against him.

"This is a great success for both the Indian government and Indian agencies- Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate. This is an extradition process and in any country, it can be said that it happens in two stages. The first stage is to accept the extradition request politically and bureaucratically. His arrest means they have accepted that they have to execute this extradition request. Now in the court, the Belgian government will fight on our behalf to bring him to India," Singh told ANI.

"So this is a big success for India. We have a lot of evidence and we will succeed in the judicial process and he will come to India... The CBI and ED have good evidence. The Enforcement Director has evidence of how he withdrew money from the bank, how he diverted it, and how he used it for personal use. So we will succeed in the judicial process as well," he said.

Former ED Deputy Legal Advisor, Ashish Chandra Singh said that the central agencies will now have to send a request for Choksi's extradition, asserting that India already has an extradition treaty with Belgium in existence.

"Mehul Choksi purchased citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda. He has now been arrested in Belgium. The CBI has filed two chargesheets against him, and the ED has filed three prosecution complaints under section 44-45. Special Court Mumbai has also issued a non-bailable warrant, based on which Belgium Police have arrested him. Proceedings to confiscate his property have also been initiated... Now that he has been arrested, the ED and CBI will have to send an immediate request for extradition. India already has an extradition treaty with Belgium in existence," Ashish Singh said.

Meanwhile, the Belgian Federal Public Service of Justice on Monday confirmed that fugitive Indian businessman Mehul Choksi was arrested on April 12 and is currently being held in detention. It further said that India has also introduced a request for his extradition.

They also confirmed that Indian authorities have introduced an extradition request for Choksi.

"Finally, the Belgian federal public service of Justice can confirm that the Indian authorities have introduced an extradition request for Choksi. As is standard in individual cases, no further details can be released at this stage," they said.

The 65-year-old fugitive diamond merchant who fled India on January 2, 2018, is wanted by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly defrauding the Punjab National Bank (PNB) of Rs 13,850 crore. His nephew, Nirav Modi, was also involved with him in the fraud.

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