Mehul Choksi's Flight From India And The Attempt To Extradite Him – A Timeline

January 7, 2018: Mehul Choksi fled India, initially traveling to the United States before settling in Antigua and Barbuda, amid allegations of involvement in a massive fraud at Punjab National Bank (PNB).

January 15, 2018: Choksi took the oath of citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda under their Citizenship by Investment program, having applied in November 2017.

February 2018: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached 41 properties worth about Rs 1,210 crore belonging to Choksi and his firms under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the PNB fraud.

March 2018: A special PMLA court issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Choksi, his nephew Nirav Modi, and others for criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, cheating, corruption, and money laundering related to the Rs 12,636 crore PNB scam.

June 17, 2018: Choksi's lawyer informed the Bombay High Court that he had left India for a medical check-up and not to evade prosecution.

July 30, 2018: Choksi initiated a legal action in Antigua, arguing there was no extradition agreement between Antigua and India.

December 2018: Interpol issued a Red Notice against Choksi at India's request.

2019: Choksi published an open letter protesting his innocence in the PNB fraud case.

2020: Evidence emerged that Choksi and associates attempted to influence Interpol proceedings to delay his extradition.

May 2021: Choksi went missing from Antigua; he was later found and arrested in Dominica on charges of illegal entry. He claimed kidnapping by Indian agents, but investigations suggested he fled to evade extradition. The Dominican High Court granted him medical leave to return to Antigua. India requested his handover, noting he had not renounced Indian citizenship. Antigua moved to rescind his citizenship due to alleged false declarations.

June 19, 2021: A new non-bailable warrant was issued against Choksi in the PNB fraud case.

May 20, 2022: Dominica withdrew the illegal entry case against Choksi; he was returned to Antigua on interim bail for medical treatment, with investigations into his disappearance ongoing.

March 21, 2023: Interpol withdrew the Red Notice against Choksi.

2024: Choksi and his wife relocated from Antigua to Belgium.

Early 2025: Choksi's legal team informed a Mumbai special court that he was in Antwerp, Belgium, undergoing treatment for blood cancer.

Late March 2025: Choksi and his wife obtained F-Residency cards in Belgium, leveraging family ties.

April 11-14, 2025: Choksi was arrested in Antwerp, Belgium, following India's formal extradition request. Belgian authorities confirmed custody, and his defense planned to oppose extradition citing health issues. India's CBI sent a team to assist with proceedings.

Summer 2025: The Belgian Court of Cassation denied Choksi's first bail request.

August 22, 2025: A Belgian court denied Choksi's second bail request, rejecting house arrest and citing him as a flight risk.

Mid-September 2025: Choksi's extradition hearing was scheduled in Belgium.

October 17, 2025: The Antwerp Court of Appeal cleared Choksi's extradition to India, ruling that the charges (including criminal conspiracy, cheating, embezzlement, and forgery) were valid under both Indian and Belgian law, dismissing claims of political motivation or abduction risks, and accepting Indian assurances on medical care and custody conditions in Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail.

October 30, 2025: Choksi appealed the Antwerp ruling to Belgium's Court of Cassation.

November 29, 2025: A special PMLA court in India rejected Choksi's plea to drop Fugitive Economic Offender (FEO) proceedings against him in the PNB fraud case.

December 18, 2025: Belgium's Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) dismissed Choksi's final appeal, upholding the Antwerp decision, rejecting objections on fair trial rights, abduction claims, and risks of inhuman treatment as lacking substance, and confirming compliance with European human rights standards. This clears the way for extradition to proceed, with Choksi ordered to pay costs; the process is expected to begin soon.

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