New Delhi: In a major development in the Punjab National Bank scam case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached properties worth ₹1,968 crore belonging to fugitive Mehul Choksi, reports Dynamite News correspondent.
Attached Assets
ED has attached 105 Immovable Properties (valued at ₹1,600 crores) and Movable Assets (worth ₹230 crores), including flats, office units, land parcels, commercial buildings, and factory units in Mumbai, Raigad, Nashik, Nagpur, Kolkata, Surat, Viluppuram, and Rangareddy.
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These attachments follow a special court’s 2024 order. Most high-value properties are in Mumbai—including prime locations like Santa Cruz and Opera House—linked to Choksi’s alleged money laundering in the ₹14,000-crore PNB scam. The ED aims to recover the proceeds of crime and establish the trail of illicit funds.
Extradition Challenges
Extradition is complex, lengthy, and document-heavy. It requires translation, notarization, and MEA certification of evidence (often thousands of pages).
Foreign courts often reject Indian lawyers’ direct arguments. Fugitives cite health risks, torture fears, and unfair trial concerns to block extradition.
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But isn’t this frustrating? Choksi was declared a fugitive economic offender in 2018, yet in 2025, he’s only just been arrested in Belgium. Why the delay?
Extradition treaties move at the pace of foreign judiciaries. Belgium, like the UK, requires exhaustive due process. India must counter every defense claim—medical, legal, or humanitarian—with evidence.
