PNB loan fraud case: Belgium court rejects Mehul Choksi’s bail plea | India News

Mehul Choksi (Photo credit score – ANI)

A court in Belgium has rejected the bail plea of Mehul Choksi –a key accused within the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan fraud case. A 3-judge bench heard the arguments earlier than ruling in opposition to granting bail.
Choksi was arrested in Belgium final week following an official request from Indian authorities.
Meanwhile, ministry of exterior affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had stated in the course of the weekly media briefing that India was working with the Belgian aspect for Choksi’s extradition.
“As you are aware, based on our extradition request, he was arrested in Belgium. We are closely working with the Belgian side for his extradition to India so that he can face trial in the country,” Jaiswal had stated answering a question.
Earlier, Choksi’s Indian lawyer, Vijay Aggarwal, was seen in Antwerp forward of the bail listening to and had additionally visited Choksi in jail.
After his arrest, Aggarwal had acknowledged that the authorized group deliberate to attraction the choice, emphasizing “Choksi’s ill health and ongoing cancer treatment” as the first grounds for in search of his launch. “My client, Mehul Choksi, is currently in custody. We will initiate the process of filing an appeal and request his release from prison, citing his medical condition and the fact that he is not a flight risk,” Aggarwal informed ANI.
During a press convention held in Delhi, Aggarwal had outlined the defence technique to contest Choksi’s extradition on two key grounds: the political nature of the case and considerations over the remedy of Choksi’s well being situation in India. He had argued that extradition may severely affect Choksi’s human rights, “particularly due to the lack of adequate medical care and the risk of harassment by political entities.”
Aggarwal had claimed that Choksi had been cooperative with Indian investigative companies and had expressed willingness to take part in investigations by way of video conferencing as a consequence of his well being points.
The authorized group had additionally identified procedural stipulations for extradition, together with the issuance of non-bailable warrants since 2018. Aggarwal had famous that earlier makes an attempt to extradite Choksi from Dominica had failed, and that Choksi had been receiving medical remedy in Antigua earlier than touring to Belgium for most cancers care.