Special Correspondent , Belgium – Belgium’s lower court had earlier given a green signal to India’s request. Now, the Supreme Court of Belgium has approved the extradition of PNB loan defaulter and fugitive diamond businessman Mehul Choksi to India. His plea has been dismissed.

In October, Belgium’s lower court had stated that India’s extradition request was valid and that Mehul Choksi must be handed over to Indian authorities. Challenging that decision, he approached the Belgian Supreme Court. Choksi claimed that if extradited to India, he might be subjected to torture and that Indian prisons were not suitable for his living conditions.

In response, India sent photographs of its prison facilities to Belgium and assured that nothing unlawful would be done. Accepting this reasoning, the Belgian Supreme Court rejected Mehul Choksi’s appeal and granted approval for his extradition.

Mehul Choksi faces charges of embezzling ₹13,000 crore from PNB. The CBI is investigating the case. In 2018, Mehul Choksi fled the country with his wife. He first took refuge in the island nation of Antigua. In 2024, the CBI learned that the 65-year-old diamond trader from Gujarat was hiding in Belgium. India then formally requested the Belgian government for his extradition. The approval has finally been granted.