New Delhi: Rejecting the claims made by fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi that he would be tortured under harsh prison conditions in India, Belgium’s highest court reportedly rejected his appeal against extradition to India in connection to the Rs 13,000 crore PNB fraud case. The Court of Cassation upheld the lower court verdict that approved India’s extradition request while imposing a cost of €104.01 (Rs 11,000), reported the India Today.
Choksi, who fled India in January 2018, days before the fraud was detected, appealed before the Supreme Court stating that if extradited, he would face a real risk of torture or inhuman treatment by probe agencies. In his appeal, he reportedly cited reports by NGOs alleging custodial violence and abusive interrogation in Indian jails.
However, the Belgian court, reportedly observed that such general reports cannot be mechanically applied to an individual case. Choksi had also raised serious concerns over prison conditions in India, particularly in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, reported India Today.
The Belgian court reportedly took note of the assurances presented by India regarding Choksi’s detention after extradition. India said that the fugitive diamantaire would be lodged at Mumbai’s Arthur Road Prison, reported India Today. The report further claims that Choksi would be kept exclusively in Barrack No. 12, which has attached sanitation facilities. India also assured that Choksi would remain under judicial custody, and not under the control of investigative agencies, the report states.
