On Choksi’s plea, Belgian SC sees no ‘political trial’

THE TOP COURT AT BRUSSELS IN A DEC 9 ORDER UPHELD THE DECISION OF ANTWERP’S COURT OF APPEALS, FINDING CHOKSI'S ARGUMENTS AS ‘INADMISSIBLE’

- Neeraj Chauhan

NEW DELHI: Belgium's Supreme Court, while rejecting fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi’s appeal last week against his arrest in Antwerp on New Delhi's request, ruled that his claims of being a subject of a political trial in India, or that he was abducted in 2021 in Antigua and Barbuda at the behest of India and runs risk of torture are not “factual”.

The top court at Brussels (called Court of Cassation), in its December 9 order, details of which have been reviewed by HT, upheld the October 17 decision of Antwerp’s court of appeals, adjudging all the arguments of Choksi as “inadmissible”.

Choksi, 65, who is being held ina prison in Antwerp following his arrest on April I at India’s request, moved the Belgian Court of Cassation on October 30. Indian investigators have accused Choksi of six bank frauds between 2018 and 2022 involving amounts totalling nearly ₹13,000 crore.