The Indian government has assured Belgium that Mehul Choksi, a fugitive diamond merchant wanted in connection with the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, will be provided with a humane jail stay if he is extradited to India. Choksi is currently residing in Antigua and Barbuda, but was recently detained in Dominica on an illegal entry charge.
India has been seeking Choksi’s extradition, and the assurance to Belgium is part of the country’s efforts to convince the European nation to support its request. The Indian government has stated that Choksi will be treated in accordance with international human rights standards and will be provided with adequate medical care and living conditions if he is extradited.
The PNB scam, which was uncovered in 2018, involves the fraudulent issuance of letters of undertaking (LoUs) by bank officials, allowing companies linked to Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi to obtain loans from overseas banks. The scam is estimated to have caused a loss of over $2 billion to the bank.
Choksi and Modi fled India before the scam was discovered, and have been living in exile ever since. India has been seeking their extradition, but the process has been slow due to various legal and diplomatic hurdles.
The assurance to Belgium is significant, as it suggests that India is willing to provide humane treatment to Choksi if he is extradited. This could help to alleviate concerns about the treatment of prisoners in Indian jails, which have been criticized in the past for their poor conditions.
It remains to be seen whether Choksi will be extradited to India, but the assurance to Belgium is a positive development in the country’s efforts to bring the fugitive diamond merchant to justice. The Indian government has also been pursuing extradition requests for Nirav Modi, who is currently living in the UK.
The PNB scam has highlighted the need for greater oversight and regulation of the banking sector in India, and the government has taken various measures to prevent similar scams in the future. The extradition of Choksi and Modi would be a significant step towards bringing those responsible for the scam to justice and recovering the losses caused by their actions.