‘Big Achievement’ Centre After Mehul Choksi Arrested in Belgium in PNB Scam Case

Fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi has been arrested in Belgium in connection with the ₹13,500 crore Punjab National Bank scam, prompting a strong response from the Centre.

Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said Choksi’s arrest marks a significant step in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pledge to act against economic offenders who “looted the poor.”

“PM Modi had already said that the ones who have looted the money of the poor will have to return it. Action is being taken against many people in the country. Mehul Choksi’s arrest is a very big achievement,” Chaudhary told ANI.

Choksi was detained by Belgian authorities following a request by Indian agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

He is currently lodged in a Belgium jail, with a bail hearing scheduled for next week. Indian officials view this as a critical window to strengthen the extradition process through diplomatic channels.

According to sources, Choksi was preparing to relocate to Switzerland for medical treatment when he was apprehended. His arrest was based on two non-bailable warrants issued by a Mumbai court in 2018 and 2021.

Mehul Choksi, along with his nephew Nirav Modi, is accused of orchestrating India’s largest banking scam, defrauding Punjab National Bank of over ₹13,500 crore through fraudulent letters of undertaking (LoUs).

Choksi had fled India in early 2018 and obtained citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda. Since then, Indian authorities have made multiple legal attempts to bring him back to face trial.

The arrest in Belgium is seen as a strategic opportunity for India to push for extradition, which has faced roadblocks in Antigua due to legal and citizenship issues.

India is expected to present its case before Belgian courts and initiate diplomatic engagement to ensure Choksi is brought back for prosecution.