Choksi's FEO Status Upheld Amidst Extradition Battle

Mehul Choksi, linked to a major bank fraud in India, faces a legal setback as the special court denies his plea to stop proceedings declaring him a Fugitive Economic Offender. Arrested earlier in Belgium, Choksi challenged the proceedings amidst ongoing extradition battles between India and Belgium.

In a major development concerning the high-profile Punjab National Bank fraud case, a special court has dismissed Mehul Choksi's request to terminate proceedings that label him as a Fugitive Economic Offender (FEO).

Choksi, arrested in Belgium earlier this year, made the plea to a court dealing with cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He is currently held in Belgium as Indian authorities pursue an extradition order.

The Enforcement Directorate opposed his plea, arguing the FEO proceedings can conclude only with Choksi's return to India. The Belgian court recently agreed to India's extradition request, a decision contested by Choksi in the nation's Supreme Court.

(With inputs from agencies.)