Belgian court rejects Mehul Choksi's bail plea, says his lawyer
New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI): A Belgian court on Tuesday rejected the bail plea of Mehul Choksi, the diamond merchant who is a prime accused in the Rs 13,000-crore PNB fraud case, his lawyer said.
The diamantaire was arrested in Antwerp by the Belgian police on April 12 based on an extradition request moved by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
His lawyer Vijay Aggarwal said the bail plea of his client has been rejected during a court hearing on Tuesday.
Choksi will contest his extradition from jail custody now, a senior official said.
Choksi, 65, was located in Belgium last year after he reached there sometime in November 2023 on the grounds of getting medical treatment.
He had been staying in Antigua after leaving India in 2018 and had taken citizenship of the Caribbean country even though his Indian citizenship is stated to be valid.
At least two open-ended arrest warrants, issued by a special court in Mumbai in 2018 and 2021, have been shared by the Indian agencies with their Belgian counterparts as part of the extradition request, official sources had said earlier.
Aggarwal had earlier stated that Choksi was "extremely sick and undergoing treatment for cancer".
Choksi, Nirav Modi, their family members and employees, bank officials and others were booked by the CBI and the ED in 2018 for perpetrating the alleged loan fraud at the Brady House branch of the Punjab National Bank (PNB) in Mumbai.
It was alleged that Choksi, his firm Gitanjali Gems and others "committed the offence of cheating against PNB in connivance with certain bank officials by fraudulently getting the LOUs (letters of undertaking) issued and got the FLCs (foreign letter of credit) enhanced without following prescribed procedure and caused a wrongful loss to the bank".
The CBI has filed at least two chargesheets against him in this case while the ED has filed three prosecution complaints.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Gehlot changes profile pic to 'Save Aravalli', asks Centre to reconsider definition
Jaipur (PTI): Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday urged the Centre to reconsider its definition of the Aravallis, warning that any damage to the mountain range posed a serious threat to the ecological future of north India.
Gehlot, a former Rajasthan chief minister, changed his social media profile picture in support of the nationwide 'SaveAravalli' campaign amid growing debate over mining and environmental safeguards in the Aravalli Range.
It was his symbolic protest against the new interpretation under which hills lower than 100 metres are no longer being recognised as part of the Aravalli system, he said.
ALSO READ:In open letter, RJD MP appeals to parliamentarians to oppose VB-G RAM G Bill
"The Aravalli cannot be judged by tape measures or height alone. It must be assessed by its ecological importance," Gehlot said, adding that the revised definition raised "a big question" over the future of north India.
Appealing to the Centre and the Supreme Court, Gehlot said the issue must be reconsidered in the interest of future generations and environmental security. He also urged citizens to participate in the campaign by changing their display pictures online to draw attention to the issue.
He said the Aravalli range functioned as a natural green wall against the expansion of the Thar desert and extreme heatwaves, protecting Delhi, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Opening up smaller hills and so-called gap areas for mining would allow desertification to advance rapidly, he warned.
Gehlot also flagged concerns over air pollution, saying the hills and forests of the Aravallis acted as the "lungs" of the National Capital Region by checking dust storms and absorbing pollutants.
"When pollution levels are so alarming even with the Aravalli standing, one can imagine how disastrous the situation will be without it," he said.
Highlighting the water crisis, the former chief minister said the rocky terrain of the Aravallis played a crucial role in groundwater recharge by channelising rainwater underground.
"If the hills are destroyed, drinking water shortages will intensify, wildlife will disappear and the entire ecology will be pushed into danger," he said.
Gehlot argued that, from a scientific perspective, the Aravallis was a continuous chain and that even smaller hillocks were as vital as higher peaks.
