Mehul Choksi

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Fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi is currently undergoing treatment for suspected cancer in Belgium, as revealed by his lawyer during a court session concerning ongoing extradition and fraud cases.

Advocate Vijay Agarwal informed a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court that Choksi, who is a key figure in the alleged multi-million fraud involving Punjab National Bank (PNB), intends to submit an application highlighting certain health issues.

He stated that Choksi is receiving medical treatment in Belgium for suspected cancer.

These remarks were made while the court was reviewing the Enforcement Directorate’s request to declare Choksi a Fugitive Economic Offender. Until recently, it was believed that Choksi was residing in Antigua and Barbuda after leaving India in January 2018, just before the scam came to light and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) initiated FIRs against him.

India has been seeking Choksi’s extradition from Antigua and Barbuda, a move he has contested in local courts.

In December of the previous year, the special court rejected a motion to dismiss the proceedings initiated by the Enforcement Directorate for declaring Choksi a fugitive economic offender (FEO).

In his September plea, Choksi argued that the reasons cited by the ED for labeling him an FEO were unfounded, asserting that the agency had inconsistently altered its claims.

Choksi’s lawyer, Rahul Aggarwal, pointed out that the ED initially alleged that Choksi fled the country to avoid arrest after selling his assets, which contradicted their later statement that he obtained citizenship and a passport from Antigua and Barbuda in 2017 as part of a planned departure from India.

In his submission from September 2024, Agarwal stated that Choksi departed India in January 2018 for medical treatment, while the case against him was filed in February 2018.

Due to the suspension of his Indian passport by authorities, he has been unable to return to India to engage in the legal proceedings.