Overview
- The Antwerp Court of Appeals ruled on October 17 that there is no legal obstacle to Choksi’s extradition, while excluding the Indian charge of destruction of evidence as it is not a crime in Belgium.
- Two Indian arrest warrants issued on May 23, 2018, and June 15, 2021, were found enforceable for conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, fraud, embezzlement and corruption-related offenses.
- Judges rejected claims that Choksi was abducted from Antigua or faces political persecution, torture, or denial of justice in India, citing a lack of concrete evidence.
- The court applied a reciprocity test, found no statute-of-limitations issues, and noted India’s assurances on detention conditions including proposed lodging at Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail.
- Choksi remains in Antwerp custody after his April 11 arrest on a CBI request, and his lawyer says a procedural challenge over missing Interpol CCF files was dismissed and further steps still precede any transfer.