Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi is set to appear before Belgian Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden.
Antwerp/Brussels: Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, wanted in India in connection with a multi-crore banking fraud, will be presented before Belgian Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden following his arrest by Antwerp police last Saturday. According to officials familiar with legal procedures in Belgium, Verlinden will examine India’s formal extradition request as well as the charges under which Choksi has been detained.
Choksi’s appearance before the Belgian minister of justice is a mandatory procedural step before the matter is referred to a court for formal extradition hearings. Officials from India’s federal investigation agency said that Verlinden will assess whether the charges — including embezzlement, transnational crime, and bribery — satisfy the principle of “dual criminality,” which requires the alleged crimes to be recognized as offenses in both India and Belgium.
“If Verlinden is convinced that the Indian request is substantial and legally sound, she will validate Choksi’s arrest. This would pave the way for judicial proceedings in a Belgian court,” said an Indian federal agency officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “However, if she finds flaws in the request or deems it lacking merit, the extradition process will be halted and Choksi will be released.”
Nonetheless, the chances of India’s request being rejected are minimal. “There is only a 0.1% possibility of that happening,” the officer added.
A second Indian official noted that an “order of arrest” was issued by Belgian prosecutors on November 25, 2024, after approval from the Ministry of Justice. This was based on an extradition request submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 27, 2024. “This indicates that Belgian authorities have, in principle, accepted India’s charges against Choksi,” the official said.
“It’s more of a formality at this point. Since the arrest was already sanctioned by the Justice Ministry, the minister usually approves the case before referring it to court,” the second officer added.
Meanwhile, Choksi’s legal team is attempting to bypass the ministerial appearance and is pushing for his direct production before the Antwerp Court of First Instance. “We might file a plea that he should be produced before the court only,” said Choksi’s counsel, Advocate Vijay Aggarwal.
Choksi, who was arrested on April 11, is required to be presented before the justice minister within five working days, as per Belgian law. A team of CBI officers is preparing to travel to Belgium to attend the hearing and press for his continued detention and the initiation of formal extradition proceedings.
An Antwerp police spokesperson earlier confirmed Choksi’s arrest, describing it as “smooth and uneventful.”
