A court in Antwerp, Belgium, on Friday cleared the extradition of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, marking a major breakthrough for India in the Rs 13,000-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case. Officials said the court upheld the validity of Choksi’s arrest made by Belgian authorities on India’s request earlier this year. "The order has come in our favour. The court has termed his arrest by the Belgian authorities on India’s request valid. The first legal step in getting him extradited is now clear," a senior official told reporters, as per PTI. Choksi, 66, was arrested in Belgium on April 11, based on an extradition request sent by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). His bail pleas have since been rejected by several Belgian courts. He now has the option of appealing

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