Latest news with #Aggarwal
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Direct Adampur-Mumbai flight takes off
Jul 03, 2025 07:20 AM IST In a major boost to the industrial sector, a direct flight from Jalandhar's Adampur airport to Mumbai has started operations from Wednesday. The first IndiGo flight from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport reached Adampur at 3.15pm. (HT File) The first IndiGo flight from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport reached Adampur at 3.15pm. Deputy commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal said the service would prove to be a game-changer for the NRIs and industrial hub of Punjab. He highlighted that passengers can now conveniently access domestic and international destinations through connecting flights such as Amsterdam, Goa, and Chennai via Mumbai, ensuring better connectivity for travellers. Aggarwal said that discussions with airline operators are on to start flights from Adampur to New Delhi, which would further cater to the travel needs of the entire Doaba region, expecting positive outcomes in coming days. He urged NRIs and the business community to take maximum advantage of the Mumbai flight for their travel needs.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Mehul Choksi challenges fugitive status in PNB fraud case from Belgian prison
Diamond merchant Mehul Choksi who is key accused in the ₹ 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, has approached the Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Mumbai, seeking the dismissal of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) application to declare him a fugitive economic offender (FEO). Aggarwal contended that Choksi is, therefore, in the "constructive custody" of Indian authorities.(AP file) Through his counsel, Advocate Vijay Aggarwal, Choksi has argued that the legal basis for declaring him a fugitive is fundamentally flawed. He is currently lodged in a Belgian prison following his arrest recently, which was carried out on the basis of a non-bailable warrant issued by an Indian court and under an official extradition request made by the Indian government. Aggarwal contended that Choksi is, therefore, in the "constructive custody" of Indian authorities. "How can someone be considered a fugitive when he has been arrested at the behest of India and is in custody due to Indian proceedings?" Aggarwal told ANI. He further explained that under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, a person must meet two conditions: one is leaving India to avoid prosecution, and the second, refusing to return to face legal proceedings. "In my client's case, neither criterion is fulfilled," Aggarwal stated. "He left India for medical treatment in New York with due police clearance from Mumbai, and at that time, no case had been filed against him. So the allegation that he fled to evade prosecution is baseless." As for his alleged refusal to return, Aggarwal pointed to a Dominican court order from 2021, issued after an alleged abduction attempt on Choksi. The order barred him from leaving Antigua, and significantly, it was passed in the presence of the CBI, effectively making it a restriction imposed with the knowledge of the Indian government. Aggarwal stated that the FEO plea has been pending in the Mumbai court for years without resolution. "Now that my client has been arrested in Belgium, at India's request, and remains in custody in Antwerp prison in relation to Indian charges, he is effectively under Indian jurisdiction," he argued. "Judicial precedents recognise such custody as valid under Indian law. Hence, there's no ground to continue the FEO proceedings." Simultaneously, Choksi is also fighting legal proceedings in Belgium. In a recent petition filed before the Belgian Court of Appeal--prepared by Advocate Aggarwal and submitted by his local legal team--Choksi has alleged that his arrest violated Belgian legal procedures and fundamental rights. The plea claims that Belgian authorities failed to follow due process, infringing on Choksi's basic legal protections and violating principles of natural justice. He has sought immediate release, citing these procedural lapses. This petition follows the recent rejection of Choksi's bail by a three-judge bench of the Belgian Court of Appeal, which conducted proceedings in Dutch. The court has yet to schedule the next hearing in the matter.
India Today
2 days ago
- Business
- India Today
High Court allows Mehul Choksi to withdraw plea against non-bailable warrant
The Bombay High Court on Monday permitted diamantaire Mehul Choksi to withdraw his plea seeking cancellation of a non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against him by a special court in court initially denied this request, emphasising that Choksi, one of the accused in the PNB scam case, could only avail legal remedies in India if he was physically present in the country. However, the plea, originally filed in 2020, was later allowed to be Vijay Aggarwal, representing Choksi, sought the court's permission to withdraw the plea so that his client could pursue other legal remedies. Aggarwal informed the court that Choksi had been arrested and is currently in a Belgian prison. Justice Madhav Jamdar remarked, "If the petitioner is Mehul Choksi, then he should remain present". Aggarwal further explained that the NBW was executed following a request by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Consequently, Choksi decided to seek alternative legal remedies. "On the request of the CBI, the warrant was executed. I will therefore take my appropriate remedy under law," Aggarwal prosecution, represented by advocates Amit Munde and A Limousine for the CBI, and Aayush Kedia for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), clarified that NBWs were issued in separate cases by the same Mumbai court. These warrants were related to Choksi's failure to return to India to face investigation and trial in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) bench questioned Aggarwal on the timing of the challenge to the impugned order, which dated back to 2019, asking, "What is the explanation for not coming before that?" Aggarwal reiterated that the warrant was executed at the CBI's request, prompting the decision to pursue new legal PNB scam involves allegations of financial misconduct against Choksi, prime accused Nirav Modi's maternal uncle, who is accused of fraud and conspiracy to cheat the ED has alleged that Choksi's companies defrauded PNB and laundered the proceeds through overseas entities. These actions allegedly led to a significant financial losses to the related developments, a separate plea by Choksi's co-accused, which seeks to name a witness as an accused, is scheduled for a hearing next month. Choksi, the promoter of the Gitanjali Group of Companies, holds significant roles in Gitanjali Gems Ltd, Gili India Ltd, and Nakshatra Brands Limited.- EndsMust Watch
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
'In constructive custody': Mehul Choksi opposes ED's fugitive tag; cites Belgium arrest
Diamond merchant , a key accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, on Tuesday challenged the 's attempt to label him a fugitive economic offender (FEO), arguing that he is already in 'constructive custody' of Indian authorities. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Appearing before the Special PMLA Court in Mumbai, Choksi's lawyer Vijay Aggarwal contended that the legal grounds to declare his client a fugitive are 'fundamentally flawed'. Choksi, who was recently arrested in Belgium and is currently lodged in Antwerp prison, was apprehended under a non-bailable warrant issued by an Indian court and following an official extradition request by India. "How can someone be considered a fugitive when he has been arrested at the behest of India and is in custody due to Indian proceedings?" Aggarwal told ANI. He pointed out that under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, a person must have either left India to avoid prosecution or refused to return—criteria that, he argued, do not apply to Choksi. Aggarwal said Choksi had travelled to New York for medical treatment in 2018 with police clearance from Mumbai and, at that time, no charges had been filed against him. He added that a Dominican court order in 2021, issued after an alleged abduction attempt, had prohibited Choksi from leaving Antigua. The order, passed in the presence of CBI officials, amounted to a restriction with Indian authorities' knowledge. 'Now that my client has been arrested in Belgium, at India's request, and is being held in connection with Indian charges, he is effectively under Indian jurisdiction,' Aggarwal argued, citing judicial precedents that validate such custody under Indian law. The FEO plea, he said, has remained unresolved for years, and its continuation is unwarranted. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Meanwhile, Choksi had earlier filed a petition before the Belgian Court of Appeal, accusing local authorities of procedural violations during his arrest and alleging breaches of his fundamental rights. The court recently denied him bail, and the next hearing has not yet been scheduled. This development comes as Choksi pursues a civil case in the UK against the Indian government and five others, claiming they orchestrated his 2021 abduction from Antigua in an alleged 'honeytrap' plot. Represented by Edward Fitzgerald KC, Choksi alleges that operatives acting for India's external intelligence agency R&AW kidnapped and smuggled him to Dominica to force his return to India. India, which denies involvement, has invoked state immunity and contested UK jurisdiction. Simultaneously, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has initiated recovery proceedings against Choksi over unpaid dues from insider trading violations involving Gitanjali Gems. On June 4, Sebi froze his bank, demat, and mutual fund accounts after he failed to pay Rs 2.1 crore. The amount stems from a 2022 order finding Choksi guilty of leaking unpublished price-sensitive information. Sebi had previously barred him from trading and declared him in breach of insider trading rules.
India Gazette
2 days ago
- India Gazette
Choksi opposes ED's fugitive offender plea, claims constructive custody in Belgium
New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): Diamond merchant Mehul Choksi who is key accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, has approached the Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Mumbai, seeking the dismissal of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) application to declare him a fugitive economic offender (FEO). Through his counsel, Advocate Vijay Aggarwal, Choksi has argued that the legal basis for declaring him a fugitive is fundamentally flawed. He is currently lodged in a Belgian prison following his arrest recently, which was carried out on the basis of a non-bailable warrant issued by an Indian court and under an official extradition request made by the Indian government. Aggarwal contended that Choksi is, therefore, in the 'constructive custody' of Indian authorities. 'How can someone be considered a fugitive when he has been arrested at the behest of India and is in custody due to Indian proceedings?' Aggarwal told ANI. He further explained that under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, a person must meet two conditions: one is leaving India to avoid prosecution, and the second, refusing to return to face legal proceedings. 'In my client's case, neither criterion is fulfilled,' Aggarwal stated. 'He left India for medical treatment in New York with due police clearance from Mumbai, and at that time, no case had been filed against him. So the allegation that he fled to evade prosecution is baseless.' As for his alleged refusal to return, Aggarwal pointed to a Dominican court order from 2021, issued after an alleged abduction attempt on Choksi. The order barred him from leaving Antigua, and significantly, it was passed in the presence of the CBI, effectively making it a restriction imposed with the knowledge of the Indian government. Aggarwal stated that the FEO plea has been pending in the Mumbai court for years without resolution. 'Now that my client has been arrested in Belgium, at India's request, and remains in custody in Antwerp prison in relation to Indian charges, he is effectively under Indian jurisdiction,' he argued. 'Judicial precedents recognise such custody as valid under Indian law. Hence, there's no ground to continue the FEO proceedings.' Simultaneously, Choksi is also fighting legal proceedings in Belgium. In a recent petition filed before the Belgian Court of Appeal--prepared by Advocate Aggarwal and submitted by his local legal team--Choksi has alleged that his arrest violated Belgian legal procedures and fundamental rights. The plea claims that Belgian authorities failed to follow due process, infringing on Choksi's basic legal protections and violating principles of natural justice. He has sought immediate release, citing these procedural lapses. This petition follows the recent rejection of Choksi's bail by a three-judge bench of the Belgian Court of Appeal, which conducted proceedings in Dutch. The court has yet to schedule the next hearing in the matter. (ANI)
