Mehul Choksi Nabbed: Fugitive Tycoon’s Capture in Belgium.

On April 12, 2025, fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, who is notoriously connected to India’s huge ₹13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scandal, was apprehended in Belgium in a significant development. After years of evasion, a trail of controversy that spanned from India to the Caribbean and now to Europe, and worldwide legal theatre, he was arrested.

Mehul Choksi: How He Made Millions Then Lost It All

Choksi, who was born in Mumbai in 1959, took over his family’s diamond company in 1985 and transformed it into the Gitanjali Group, one of the biggest jewellery companies in India. He was previously regarded as a bright light of Indian entrepreneurship, owning more than 4,000 outlets nationwide.

However, Choksi raised concerns even before the storm struck in 2017 when he obtained citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda through their Citizenship by Investment program. He discreetly left India in January 2018, just days before the multi-crore scandal was exposed.

The Scam That Shook the US: What You Need to Know

Choksi is suspected of planning a scam involving fictitious Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) issued by PNB, along with his nephew Nirav Modi. They were able to obtain substantial amounts of credit from foreign institutions thanks to these false promises. It was one of the biggest banking scams in Indian history by the time investigators discovered it, and the harm had already been done.

A Mumbai court issued non-bailable warrants in 2018 and 2021 as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) began their investigations. Choksi-related properties valued at more than ₹1,200 crore were also seized in accordance with anti-money laundering regulations.

Belgium’s Best Kept Secret: An Unexpected Adventure Awaits

Choksi claimed to have been abducted from Antigua and spent a brief but strange time in Dominica in 2021 before returning to the Caribbean Island for medical reasons. He was given some breathing room in 2023 when Interpol revoked the Red Notice against him.

This April, that breathing room came to an end. Choksi and his Belgian-born wife were living in Antwerp, Belgium, when he was discovered. Indian and Belgian authorities worked together to detain him in accordance with the long-standing warrants. He is presently detained and is anticipated to contest extradition, alleging health issues once more.

What’s Next? Future Trends & Predictions for 2025

After years of attempting to apprehend the fugitive, Indian law enforcement agents have achieved a major victory with Choksi’s capture. The Belgian judicial system will now handle the extradition procedure, and it is unclear how soon he will be returned to India to face justice.

For the time being, Mehul Choksi’s lengthy story has begun a new chapter that could ultimately result in his trial for one of the most notorious financial crimes in the nation.