Subhechcha Ganguly 
Fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi, wanted in connection with the Rs13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, has been arrested by Belgian authorities over the weekend. The arrest marks a major breakthrough for Indian agencies, who have been tracking Choksi across three countries for over seven years.
Choksi, who fled India in 2018, had acquired citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda through an investment program and remained out of reach until a dramatic twist in May 2021. He was found and arrested in Dominica for illegal entry—sparking a storm of allegations, including a shocking claim of abduction and honey-trapping.
According to Choksi, he was abducted, tortured, and forced onto a boat that transported him from Antigua to Dominica. At the center of this alleged plot was Barbara Jabarika, a Hungarian woman he had been seen socializing with. Choksi claimed that Jabarika had befriended him under false pretenses and lured him into a trap as part of a larger conspiracy to forcibly deport him.
Jabarika, who described herself as a property investment agent, has categorically denied the accusations, stating that Choksi had introduced himself using an alias—“Raj”—and that there was no romantic relationship between them. She also denied having any involvement in a kidnapping or political plot.
As Indian authorities prepare for extradition proceedings, the Barbara Jabarika angle continues to raise questions about the bizarre and tangled web of Choksi’s escape, recapture, and ongoing legal saga.
