Govt promises humane jail stay for Mehul Choksi if extradited

No solitary, no mosquitoes, no overcrowding, perhaps a bed, open-air privileges, someone to possibly converse with and a garbage-free cell. If he so wishes, Mehul Choksi could also indulge in pursuits as varied as badminton, chess and carrom. Then there's yoga, the library and even home-cooked food on offer.

The Indian government has assured Belgium that the fugitive jeweller, accused in the ₹25,000 crore Punjab National Bank fraud, will be accommodated in humane conditions conforming with European human rights standards if extradited to his home country. The place of lodging will be Barrack No. 12 of Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai.

Extradition proceedings are underway at the Chambers of Indictment in Antwerp. Choksi was arrested on April 12 by Antwerp police following verification through photographs, fingerprints and palm prints, and has since been lodged in a city prison. The details of his likely conditions of incarceration in India were laid out in a Letter of Assurance to the Belgian government that ET has seen.

The designated 20x15 foot cell has a separate toilet, three ceiling fans, six fluorescent lights, multiple ventilators, grill doors and wire-mesh windows that won't allow mosquitoes, flies or other insects to enter the cell while also maintaining air circulation.

The authorities have given an assurance that Choksi will not be placed in solitary confinement. Instead, he will share the cell with another undertrial facing economic offence charges, and with whom he can communicate in a common language.

The government has also highlighted that Barrack No. 12 is separate from the main prison complex, ruling out overcrowding and the risk of violence or extortion. The barrack is equipped with CCTV cameras monitored around the clock and guarded by prison staff on duty all 24 hours.

Choksi will be provided basic amenities such as a cotton mat, blanket, bedsheet and pillow. A bed will be arranged if ordered by a court or required on medical grounds. Daily cleaning and twice-a-day garbage disposal have been assured, along with 24x7 medical facilities and emergency access to JJ Hospital.

For recreation, inmates are allowed access to a 15x40 foot outdoor "open skyyard area" between 7 am and noon and 3 and 5.30 pm where they can exercise, play badminton or board games such as chess and carrom. Choksi will be permitted daily access of over an hour to this area. Additionally, he could also participate in yoga and meditation sessions held at the prison facility. The prison library will also be available, according to the document.

Meals will be served thrice daily, in line with nutritional standards. Court-approved home-cooked food can be arranged, while the prison canteen supplies fruits, snacks, toiletries and other items.

Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate for money laundering and by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for conspiracy and misuse of office in the alleged PNB fraud. Nirav Modi is currently in the UK, where he's facing extradition proceedings.