Fugitive Mehul Choksi Faces Rs 63 Lakh Maintenance Debt for Mumbai Flats

NEW DELHI: Mehul Choksi, the fugitive businessman implicated in the Rs 13,850 crore Punjab National Bank fraud, has accumulated unpaid maintenance fees of approximately Rs 63 lakh for his Mumbai apartments, according to a report citing a member of the residential society. Choksi, who owns three units at Gokul Apartments in the upscale Malabar Hill area on the 9th, 10th, and 11th floors has reportedly failed to pay maintenance for over seven years.

A society member told that the outstanding dues, which exclude interest, pertain to Choksi’s properties, including an illegally occupied terrace. With additional renovation costs, the total amount owed could climb to Rs 95 lakh. The member highlighted concerns about the structural integrity of the building, noting that unattended flats have allowed large trees to grow, with roots potentially damaging the property. “This is an additional burden that we have to bear without any fault of ours,” the member stated, expressing hope that India’s legal system and Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials will secure the owed payments.

The ED previously attached Choksi’s properties in connection with the fraud case. On Monday, the Belgian Federal Public Service of Justice confirmed Choksi’s arrest on April 12, adding that he remains in detention. The department also noted that India has formally requested his extradition. Indian authorities shared at least two open-ended arrest warrants, issued by a Mumbai special court in 2018 and 2021, with Belgian counterparts to support the extradition process, according to sources.

Choksi, aged 65, fled India on January 2, 2018, and is wanted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ED for his alleged role in the massive bank fraud. The ED has seized or attached assets worth Rs 2,565.90 crore in the case, and a court has permitted the monetization of these properties to recover losses.