Mehul Choksi arrested as his lawyer exposes Belgian 'F residency'

Belgium: A leaked document exposing Indian fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi’s presence in Belgium and subsequent arrest has led to another breakthrough. The document, originally provided to Associates Times last year by fugitive’s UK-based lawyer, featured a proper and verified address where Choksi has been residing after coming to Belgium. 

Associates Times previously shared the document with both Indian and Belgian authorities but did not publish it due to the sensitivity of the matter. However, in order to bring an action, the document was shared directly with the concerned authorities, which also led Indian officials to engage in dialogue with their Belgian counterparts to initiate the extradition of the fugitive to India, where he is wanted in connection with a massive USD 2 billion banking fraud.

Now, in a major development, we Associates Times are making the original document public, confirming Choksi’s whereabouts and reigniting international investigation. Due to this disclosure, a proper investigation was launched into Choksi’s presence in Belgium, forcing authorities to probe not only his whereabouts but also the potential fraudulent means used during his application or stay in the country.

Earlier, in a major breaking news, Associates Times also confirmed that he has secured “F Residency Card” in Belgium on November 15, 2023, reportedly facilitated by his wife who is citizen of Belgium.

The reports added that the Choksi visited Belgium for medical treatment and suspected of submitting fraudulent documents to the Belgian authorities to get the F card in the country. 

Mehul Choksi is a fugitive diamantaire accused of a whopping USD 2 billion fraud with India’s second biggest lender, Punjab National Bank (PNB). To avoid the legal proceedings in India, he fled to Antigua and Barbuda in 2018 where he has been residing by obtaining citizenship through the country’s Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI). 

However, the Indian authorities have also requested the Antiguan authorities to start the extradition process. In order to evade the tune of law, he fled Antigua and obtained F card in Belgium. 

Sources also 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 also raised serious concerns about his criminal activities in different countries.