Mehul Choksi Arrested in Belgium: Fugitive Billionaire’s Extradition in Final Stages After 7-Year Manhunt

In a breakthrough, fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi has been arrested by Belgian authorities based on an extradition request filed by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The arrest comes nearly seven years after he fled India in 2018 following his involvement in the infamous ₹13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, one of the biggest financial frauds in Indian history.

The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), two Indian law enforcement agencies, are now working with Belgian officials to ensure that Mehul Choksi is extradited as soon as possible. People who know about the situation say that the last paperwork is being put together to bring him back to India to face justice.

Whistle-Blower Alerted Government in 2016

Finally, Hariprasad SV, an entrepreneur and whistleblower from Bengaluru who first warned about Mehul Choksi’s dishonest business dealings in July 2016, has been caught. In a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Hariprasad warned of possible large-scale corporate theft and pointed out problems with the Gitanjali Group’s financial accounts.

A year earlier, in 2015, Hariprasad had already filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Police against Mehul Choksi and his group companies, after allegedly being cheated of nearly ₹10 crore. He followed up by alerting multiple federal agencies including the CBI, ED, SEBI, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and again the PMO.

Even though there were early signs, the scam grew into a ₹13,500 crore fraud that involved 31 banks that had given the Gitanjali Group big loans. After Hariprasad looked into it, the business got ₹9,872 crore in loans against assets that were only worth ₹25 to ₹30 crore.

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Mehul Choksi’s Location and Flight Attempts Foiled

Mehul Choksi was living in Antwerp, Belgium, with a residency card that he got after leaving Antigua. Reports say that Indian intelligence agencies had been closely watching his movements and found out that Choksi was planning to leave Belgium and move to Switzerland, saying that he was there to get cancer treatment. The arrest was timed just days before this escape plan could materialize.

This operation is being hailed as a success by Indian authorities after a prolonged legal and diplomatic battle involving Antigua, Dominica, and now Belgium. Previously, in 2021, Mehul Choksi was briefly arrested in Dominica while allegedly attempting to escape to Cuba. He claimed he had been kidnapped from Antigua, where he had secured citizenship through an investment program in 2017.

Legal Battle Begins in Belgium

Choksi’s legal team in Belgium is preparing to file for bail and is expected to challenge the extradition on health grounds. His lawyers have hinted at launching a full-fledged legal defense, citing medical conditions and due process violations. However, Indian officials remain confident that the evidence against Mehul Choksi and the diplomatic weight behind the case will prevail.

Whistle-Blower Urges Recovery of Looted Funds

Reacting to the arrest, Hariprasad SV welcomed the development as “great news” and emphasized the urgent need to recover the billions looted by Mehul Choksi.

“Apart from bringing him back, the most important thing is to recover all the billions of dollars he looted and stashed across the globe. Hopefully, the Government of India will succeed this time,” Hariprasad said.

He further noted that while the PMO did forward his 2016 complaint to the Registrar of Companies (RoC), institutional inefficiencies delayed action.

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A Step Toward Justice

The arrest of Mehul Choksi is a big step forward in India’s attempts to catch economic criminals. It shows how cautious people like Hariprasad SV are and how hard Indian law enforcement keeps working to stop high-profile white-collar crime. As the extradition process moves forward, India stands at the threshold of not just reclaiming a fugitive, but possibly recovering massive financial damages. The arrest of Mehul Choksi is being viewed as a turning point in India’s global fight against economic offenders.