Last Updated on June 17, 2025, 12:43 PM AST by Anthony Morris
Mehul Choksi, the infamous Indian fugitive now residing in Belgium is making desperate attempts to delay his extradition and avoid facing justice. Reports suggest that Choksi is now making further efforts to stall his extradition by filing a case in a UK court against the Government of India.
Legal experts who specialize in UK litigation say that anyone can file such a lawsuit by paying a fee of GBP 10,000, and it has become merely a tactic used by Choksi to delay proceedings.
In his latest lawsuit, filed in the United Kingdom, Choksi claims that the Indian government kidnapped him and plotted to forcibly return him to India. The diamantaire, who is currently under arrest and facing imprisonment in Belgium, appears to be using this narrative once again to delay his return.
A UK-based legal consultant noted, “Any person who can afford to spend £10,000 can file such a lawsuit in UK courts. However, filing a lawsuit does not equate to a verdict. It is up to the court to decide whether to hear the case or dismiss it as a waste of judicial time due to baseless claims.”
The legal expert further added that even in Choksi’s case the proceedings have not yet begun and may eventually be dismissed for wasting the court’s time due to irrelevant or insufficient evidence.
Notably, the 63-year-old is accused of orchestrating the largest financial fraud in India’s history, defrauding Punjab National Bank (PNB) of nearly USD 2 billion before fleeing the country.
Choksi, widely regarded as a mastermind of financial fraud, continues to use high-powered and expensive legal teams to explore every possible legal loophole to delay his extradition.
Notably, in 2018, Mehul Choksi’s massive fraud, the biggest in Indian history was exposed. Months before the news broke, Choksi had already fled to Antigua and Barbuda.
Reportedly, in May 2021, with the help of two Jamaican nationals, he planned an escape from Jolly Harbour, Antigua and Barbuda, heading toward Cuba, a country with which India has no extradition treaty. However, a dispute with his Jamaican transporters led them to abandon him on a beach in Dominica, where he was later arrested for illegal entry.
He has since claimed that he was kidnapped, fabricating a narrative to safeguard himself from being returned to India to face trial for a USD 2 billion fraud. The Antigua and Barbuda authorities, even the Prime Minister Gaston Browne have maintained that “there isn’t sufficient evidence to prove that he was kidnapped”. However, there is multiple evidence available in public domain in the forms of screenshots, and photographs revealing that he was not kidnapped, and the disappearance was in fact a part of a bigger plot to leave for Cuba.
This is not the first time Choksi has attempted to delay his extradition. He reportedly lied on his visa application for Belgium, and tried to settle down with his F1 residency in 2025, until he was exposed and arrested by authorities.
In the Netflix documentary Bad Boy Billionaires, the creators highlighted how countless innocent people suffered in the aftermath of the fraud committed by Choksi and his nephew, Nirav Modi.
Legal experts maintain that despite his ongoing efforts, Choksi is likely to be extradited to India, given the enormous financial implications of the case.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
