Indian fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi is said to be living in Antwerp, Belgium, along with his wife, Belgian citizen Preeti Choksi. Choksi, who has been on the run from Indian authorities for years, received an ‘F Residency Card’ in Belgium on November 15, 2023.
Sources have indicated that Preeti was a central figure in facilitating Choksi to obtain residency in Belgium. While attempting to obtain the residency, Choksi is said to have used false and forged documents, such as false statements and forged documents. Furthermore, he is said not to have made declarations regarding his Indian and Antigua citizenships.
Indian authorities have sought the extradition of Choksi to be tried on charges in connection with the high-profile Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case. His new Belgian residency, however, makes it difficult, providing him with the freedom to go anywhere within Europe nations and preventing him from returning to India for trial.
Plans to Move to Switzerland
Compounding the situation, Choksi is also said to be making plans to move to Switzerland for treatment at the Hirslanden Klinik Aarau, a well-known hospital for cancer care. The action is seen as yet another attempt to delay his extradition, and Choksi will likely cite humanitarian grounds as the justification.
The PNB Fraud and FEO Declaration
Choksi’s fraudulent activities, particularly his involvement in the massive PNB scam, have led to him being declared a Fugitive Economic Offender (FEO) by the Indian government. The PNB fraud, in which Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi defrauded the bank of over Rs 14,000 crore, remains one of the largest financial scams in Indian banking history.
