Subhechcha Ganguly 
Fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi, wanted in India for defrauding Punjab National Bank of over Rs13,500 crore, was arrested in Belgium on Saturday while allegedly planning to flee to Switzerland citing medical reasons. His arrest marks a major breakthrough in a seven-year-long pursuit by Indian investigative agencies.
Acting swiftly, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) have invoked a 125-year-old extradition treaty between India and Belgium to bring Choksi back for trial. Originally signed on October 29, 1901, between Britain and Belgium, the treaty has undergone several amendments and was reaffirmed through an exchange of letters between India and Belgium post-independence in 1954.
Under the treaty, individuals accused of serious crimes—including fraud, bribery, and criminal breach of trust—can be extradited between the two countries. India had formally requested Choksi’s extradition in August 2024 after tracking him in Antwerp through the CBI’s global operations center.
Choksi now faces extradition under multiple IPC sections, including criminal conspiracy (120B), cheating (420), falsification of accounts (477A), and bribery under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Belgian authorities, after careful examination, accepted India’s request, satisfied that the charges met the dual criminality criteria required for extradition.
