April 14, 2025 - Absconding diamond trader Mehul Choksi was arrested on April 12  by the Belgium police on India’s extradition request, sources in the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) said. Choksi has been living in Antwerp with wife Preeti on a ‘F residency card’ in Belgium after he fled India in 2018. The 65-year-old is currently in jail while formal paperwork is being done.

The Belgian police referred to two open-ended arrest warrants, dated May 23, 2018, and June 15, 2021, and issued against Choksi by a Mumbai Court while placing him under arrest.

His lawyer Vijay Aggarwal said this morning that they will appeal against his arrest and would also oppose India's extradition request. Choksi is believed to be undergoing cancer treatment in Belgium.

"My client is not a flight risk. He is extremely sick and is undergoing treatment for cancer," Aggarwal said to the media.

Choksi’s arrest was made following renewed extradition requests by Indian authorities after Interpol withdrew the Red Notice against him. Mumbai Courts had issued non-bailable warrants against Choksi who is wanted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI.

The fugitive diamond trader and his nephew, Nirav Modi, have been accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank (PNB) of more than Rs 13,000 crore in 2018 through fraudulent letters of undertaking and foreign letters of credit, involving his company Gitanjali Gems.

Modi is currently in a UK prison and contesting extradition requests by Indian authorities.