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Mehul Choksi, arrested in Belgium, owes ₹63 lakh maintenance for Mumbai flats: Report
Indian fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi was arrested in Belgium, where he was living, on Saturday following a formal request by Indian authorities.
Fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, who is wanted in India for allegedly defrauding the Punjab National Bank of over ₹13,500 crore and has been arrested in Belgium, has not cleared maintenance dues of his apartments in Mumbai, news agency ANI reported citing a member of the residential society.
According to the member, Mehul Choksi has not cleared maintenance dues worth ₹63 lakh of his flats in Gokul Apartments in Mumbai’s posh Malabar Hills area.
Mehul Choksi reportedly owns three apartment units in the society on the 9th, 10th and 11th floors.
Also read: How CBI nailed Mehul Choksi
The society member also informed that the alleged pending dues of ₹63 lakh have accumulated over the past seven years and are without interest.
"He (Choksi) has seven years of maintenance due. He has three units- 9th, 10th and 11th floors. The 11th floor is a terrace, he has illegally occupied it. There is maintenance dues of around ₹63 lakh without interest. In 2020, our condominium had renovation work done, the cost per unit came to ₹30-35 lakh, so if you add the cost of three units, it will be around ₹95 lakh,” ANI quoted the society member as saying.
He also informed that non-maintenance of his flats, which were attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), poses a threat to the building structure. "Big trees have started growing in the flat and the roots will definitely damage the structural integrity of the building. This is an additional burden that we have to bear without any fault of ours. We have faith in the legal system of India, ED officials, and we hope we will get the dues," he added.
Also read: Who is Barbara Jabarika, the Hungarian woman who allegedly honey-trapped Choksi?
Mehul Choksi arrested in Belgium
Indian fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi was arrested in Belgium on Saturday (April 12) following a formal request by Indian authorities. Belgium has also confirmed that India has reached out to seek extradition of Choksi. India and Belgium have an extradition policy in place.
Mehul Choksi had fled India back in 2018 along with his family and nephew Nirav Modi, who is also a co-accused and is wanted in India.
Choksi was arrested by Belgium authorities while he was reportedly preparing to flee to Switzerland on grounds of his medical health. His arrest is a major breakthrough in the seven-year pursuit of Indian investigation agencies CBI and ED of probing the charges against him.
With ANI inputs.
