Mehul Choksi secures Belgian ‘F Residency’, plans to shift Switzerland

Belgium: Sources have confirmed that Mehul Choksi is currently residing in Antwerp, Belgium with his wife, Preeti Choksi by securing ‘F Residency Card’ in the country. 

It has come to light that Mehul Choksi obtained residency in Belgium and secured an F Residency Card on November 15, 2023, reportedly facilitated by his wife who is citizen of Belgium. Given a magnitude of his fraudulent practices in India and Antigua and Barbuda, sources disclosed that Choksi has submitted misleading and fabricated documentation to obtain residency in Belgium and further escape extradition to India.

Meanwhile, Mehul Choksi has not officially renounced his Indian citizenship. Sources revealed that, Choksi submitted false declarations and forged documents to Belgian authorities and misrepresented his nationality in his application process, failing to disclose the details of his existing citizenship, including those of India and Antigua.

Upon learning of his presence in Belgium, Indian authorities have requested the Belgian authorities to send back Mehul Choksi and initiated an extradition process. However, Choksi is well aware that Indian authorities are proceeding with the Belgium government to ensure his return, but Belgium temporary residency and eventually permanent residency would potentially give Mehul Choksi freedom to travel between countries to escape the tune of law.

In a similar case, Choksi is reportedly planning to move to Switzerland, citing medical treatment at a well-known cancer hospital named Hirslanden Klinik Aarau. Once again, the move is intended to invoke humanitarian grounds, allowing him to evade extradition to India.

Choksi’s newly acquired Belgian residency complicates India’s extradition efforts against him as he can now freely move within Europe. The Belgian residency will enable him to evade legal proceedings by constantly shifting between countries which will further mislead authorities about his whereabouts.

Given Choksi’s criminal history and the fraudulent means allegedly used in his Belgian application, public expressed dismay for Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt and the government which failed to conduct proper due diligence. It is significant for Belgium government to pay attention to the matter as if Mehul Choksi gets permanent residency (F+) in the country, it would become difficult to extradite him to India. With this, he will be managed to evade tune of law in India against his massive fraud.

The matter has come into ligh after  Antigua and Barbuda’s Foreign Minister EP Chet Greene said that Mehul Choksi is no longer on the island.

Foreign Minister Greene who was invited to participate in the Raisina Dialogue, India’s annual conference did not reveal where Choksi had gone and noted, “Mehul Choksi is not on the island. I am told he left Antigua for medical attention abroad (but) he remains a citizen of Antigua and Barbuda. The governments, yours (India) and mine, are working together on this matter.”

Choksi, who acquired citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda under the Citizenship by Investment Programme in January 2017 by submitting false documents, fled India after allegedly defrauding Punjab National Bank (PNB), amounting to USD 2 billion. In addition to that, he also staged a fabricated kidnapping in May 2021. Following this, authorities in Antigua and Barbuda initiated the process to revoke his citizenship, however, Choksi challenged the revocation in Antigua for which a court decision is pending.

Mehul Choksi is a fugitive from India and wanted in connection with a massive financial fraud due to which he was officially declared as Fugitive Economic Offender (EFO) on September 25, 2019, under the FEO Act of India. Authorities in India had taken several steps and legal actions against him such as extradition proceedings and a red corner notice through Interpol.

However, he fled to Antigua and Barbuda where he secured citizenship before the revelation of his massive scam and started his illegal practices. He orchestrated a narrative of kidnapping and disappeared from his house to escape his extradition to India and also used humanitarian grounds to gain sympathy of people.

Now, sources revealed that he used same tactics in Belgium to further delay his legal proceedings in India and manipulate evidence against him. The development of securing citizenship in Belgium raised serious concerns about his criminal activities in different countries. The entire scene showcased his ability to slip through legal frameworks, manipulate residency systems and fabricate obstacles in judicial proceedings, indicating a well-planned and systematic approach to stage fraudulent practices in different countries. 

Notably, his nephew Nirav Modi who was also involved in the PNB fraud case has been caught up in the UK legal system as he fled to the country to evade justice. Mehul Choksi has bribed officials in Antigua and Barbuda for manipulating his kidnapping narrative and now he has gained residency in Belgium with fraudulent means, indicating how he has repeatedly exploited legal loopholes and immigration policies.

He has managed to evade extraditions over the years with different tactics and now he is planning to use his F residency card to avoid justice in India where he fooled thousands of innocent people.