- By Aditya Jha
- Mon, 14 Apr 2025 09:28 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Mehul Choksi, fugitive diamond merchant, was reportedly detained by Belgian authorities on Sunday. Choksi has been declared a Fugitive Economic Offender (FEO) due to his alleged financial scam and fraudulent activities. Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi have been accused of the PNB fraud of over Rs 14,000 crore. He has been living in Belgium with his wife, Preeti Choksi, who is a Belgian citizen. The reports suggest that his wife had played a key role in securing the residency for him in Belgium.
Indian investigating agencies sent an official request to the Belgian authorities after the businessman was spotted in Belgium, reported the Economic Times. The Indian government is also likely to seek extradition of the businessman, citing his alleged involvement in the fraudulent activities.
ALSO READ: Delhi Police Busts Infant Trafficking Network Involved In Selling Babies To Rich Families
While reacting to Choksi's detention reports, Punjab National Bank Scam whistleblower Hariprasad SV stated that his detention is not only "great news" for Indian authorities but also for all those who got cheated by him. "Wow, Mehul Choksi getting arrested in Belgium is great news not only for India but also for all those who got cheated by him. The government must bring him back to India as soon as possible, and justice must be delivered," Hariprasad SV was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.
"Apart from bringing him back, the most important thing is to get back all those billions of dollars he looted from India and stashed anywhere in the world. Hopefully, the government of India will succeed this time. Great news," the whistleblower said.
Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Hariprasad SV, on July 26, 2016, had written a letter to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) stating that a potential large-scale scam was affecting one of the largest banks. In his letter, Hariprasad pointed out that the balance sheets contained clear indicators that something was amiss.