Belgian Court Approves Mehul Choksi Extradition, Major Charges Recognised Under Belgian Law

In a significant legal development, a Belgian court has confirmed that the offences cited by India in Mehul Choksi’s extradition case are recognised under Belgian law, marking a setback for the fugitive diamond trader.

The Court of Appeals in Antwerp, in its ruling last week, approved Choksi's extradition to India and upheld the legality of his arrest by Belgian authorities earlier this year. The 66-year-old businessman was detained by Antwerp police on April 11 following India’s formal extradition request and has remained in a Belgian prison since then, with multiple bail pleas denied due to his potential flight risk.

The Chamber of Accusation at the Court of Appeals, in its order dated October 17, stated that charges including criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and corruption are punishable by over a year of imprisonment under both Indian and Belgian law. "The alleged acts occurred in India between the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2019. These offences are punishable in Belgium by a prison term of more than one year, as specified under several articles of the Belgian Criminal Code," the court noted.