According to the sources, fugacious diamond trader Mehul Choksi has been arrested in Belgium on April 13. They also revealed that preparations are being made to extradite him to India. It will be a big victory for India in its fight against economic offenders if Choksi, wanted in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) loans scam, can be brought back to India. However, that might not be an easy task, according to Hariprasad SV, the whistleblower of the scam.
Hariprasad SV on Monday said getting Mehul Choksi extradited from Belgium to India would be difficult as the diamantaire had money to hire the best lawyers and try to delay any move to get him extradited, like fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya has done.
Hariprasad spoke to ANI and stated that Choksi had so far delayed the extradition process by hiring top lawyers in Europe.
"Extradition is not an easy task. Choksi's wallet is full, and he will employ the best lawyers in Europe to avoid the process like what Vijay Mallya has been doing. I don't think it is going to be easy for India to get him back," he said.
"When he was caught in Antigua (Dominica) and other islands, he could manage to get out of it because he has a fleet of lawyers. But I wish and hope that this time, the Indian government will succeed," Hariprasad said.He further explained that Choksi has duped hundreds of franchises across India and cases have been filed across different cities.
"Even I got his arrest warrant from Bangalore police, but nothing really happened as he was smart enough to get away from the clutches of law," Hariprasad told ANI.
He also discussed how difficult international extraditions can be.
"The legal system in India is undoubtedly very great, but the extradition process depends on the country we are dealing with. This case is not going to be easy, as he has so much money," he said.
It was Hariprasad, a Bengauluru-based entrepreneur, who wrote to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on July 26, 2016. He stated that something was wrong with the balance sheets.
Sources told ANI that Choksi was arrested in Belgium on April 13. They also revealed that preparations are being made to extradite him to India.
But Choksi is preparing for a legal battle. His defence team will move for bail and will oppose extradition, citing health reasons and others.
Choksi, 65, fled India on January 2, 2018. He is wanted by the Enforcement Directorate, the CBI, in connection with Rs 13,850 crore PNB fraud case.
Vijay Mallya, a fugitive Indian businessman, is fighting extradition from the UK. Mallya owes Rs 9000 crore to 17 Indian banks and is accused of fraud and money laundering in India.
Mallya is the ex-chairman of United Spirits and is associated with the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines.
After he faced heat from lenders following the collapse of the airline, he fled to the UK in 2016.
In a February hearing, Mallya appealed the bankruptcy order in the UK, with his lawyers arguing that the banks had already recovered assets that effectively settled the debt.
His legal team stated that Mallya would continue efforts to have the bankruptcy order overturned.Choski's nephew, Nirav Modi, is also accused in the same case.
