He may have been in a Belgian prison for at least one week.
Ed is investigating money laundering cases, and is seeking to liquidate Choksi’s assets and return the money to victims of bank fraud, even as the CBI is pushing for extradition.
Over the past few months, Ed has sent up to 15 letters to Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, the United States, China, Italy, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, formally requesting detailed information on companies, assets, bank accounts and other information with Choksi and its Gitanjali Group.
Extradition may take time
The letters to Thailand, the United States, Japan and the UAE also seek to implement temporary orders issued by Indian authorities to rely on Choksi’s assets, worth Rs 8.5 billion. People say seeking release from prison may be heard within a week. The diamond businessman claims he is receiving cancer treatment and he will likely be released on bail on health reasons and quotes “community contact.”
If the Belgian authorities find India’s requirement in its law, the requirement will be brought by the District Court, which will examine whether the principle of double crime and other parameters is met. It is said that if the court also decides to support the Indian government and order extradition, the final decision will be made at the ministerial level in Belgium.
Choksi’s nephew, Nirav Modi, is another major alleged charge in bank fraud, is currently in London prison, even as New Delhi is seeking to bring him back.
So far, Ed has secured an order to restore the assets of fraud victims worth Rs 25.66 crore and has attached it with properties worth approximately Rs 19.68 crore. The latter includes 105 real estate properties, several states worth over Rs 16 billion, as well as jewelry, diamonds and precious metals, worth about Rs 23 crore, and told ET.
Coksi’s properties in the UAE, the United States, Thailand and Japan include apartments, offices, factories and shares of a Japanese company, as ET first reported on January 1.
People said Ed also found that movable properties (jewelry and other valuables) were worth about Rs 59.8 crore during the searches conducted throughout India.
Last October, India made a request to Belgium to seek extradition of Choksi, and Belgian police subsequently arrested him.
Choksi told the Mumbai court through his lawyer that he had blood cancer and would start radiation treatment and was unable to go to India for trial.
