Mehul Choksi's arrest in Belgium has evoked mixed responses. Santosh Srivastava, the erstwhile Managing Director of Gitanjali Gems, rejoiced at the arrest, calling it "great news." As a whistleblower in the case, Srivastava hoped that the Indian government would facilitate the speedy extradition and recovery of the cheated funds. He added a sense of urgency to returning Choksi to India as quickly as possible so that justice would be served.
Choksi was arrested over the weekend, following confirmation by local authorities from Belgium that he was indeed in the country. But his lawyers are ready to fight it out, with Choksi's attorney Vijay Aggarwal asserting that an appeal will be lodged to allow him to be released from detention. The basis of the appeal is Choksi's poor health and continuous cancer therapy, with Aggarwal further asserting that his client is not a risk to abscond.
Choksi, along with his nephew Nirav Modi, is sought by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the Rs 13,850 crore fraud at Punjab National Bank (PNB). Since his escape from India in January 2018, Choksi has been dodging legal proceedings, and his arrest has fanned efforts for his extradition.
But few experts are not optimistic about extradition possibilities. Hariprasad SV, another PNB scam whistleblower, had noted that Choksi would most likely engage the top lawyers in Europe to ensure that he does not come back to India, as in the case of other high-profile fugitives like Vijay Mallya. He cautioned that extradition was a long and difficult process and that Choksi's wealth would just complicate it further for India.
