‘Important To Get Back Billions He Stole From India’: PNB Scam Whistleblower On Mehul Choksi Arrest In Belgium

PNB scam whistleblower hails fugitive Mehul Choksi arrest in Belgium as great news. Urges swift extradition and recovery of looted Rs 13,000 crore.

(L-R) Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi & Whistleblower Hariprasad SV

Source : PTI

Reacting to the news regarding fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi’s arrest in Belgium, Punjab National Bank Scam whistleblower Hariprasad SV called it "great news" not just for India but for those who were cheated by Choksi.

The diamond jeweller was detained in Belgium following an extradition request by Indian probe agencies for his alleged involvement in the Rs 13,000 crore PNB bank loan 'fraud' case. The action against the diamantaire was taken on Saturday.

"Wow, Mehul Choksi getting arrested in Belgium is great news not only for India but also for all those who got cheated by him. The government must bring him back to India as soon as possible, and justice must be delivered," he told ANI. Hariprasad further said that the most important thing is “to get back all those billions of dollars he [Choksi] looted from India and stashed anywhere in the world”. 

"Hopefully, the Government of India will succeed this time. Great news," Hariprasad added.

As per PTI, after the Interpol Red Notice [to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action] against him for arrest was "deleted", Indian agencies, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI moved for his extradition from Belgium.

Choksi, along with his nephew and fugitive diamond trader Nirav Modi, their family members, employees, bank officials, and others, was booked by two investigative agencies in 2018 for allegedly orchestrating a loan fraud at Punjab National Bank’s Brady House branch in Mumbai.

As per PTI, ED alleged that Choksi, his firm Gitanjali Gems and others "committed the offence of cheating against Punjab National Bank 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."

Supriya Sule said that while justice delayed is justice denied, it is still a step in the right direction. She further said that her only demand was that Mehul Choksi should be arrested, but before anything else, the hard-earned money of the common taxpayer should be returned. 
Only after this, legal proceedings should take place, but it should be first ensured that the taxpayers' money is returned.