Belgium on Tuesday assured India of its cooperation in extraditing fugitive businessman Nirav Modi, who is accused of defrauding the Punjab National Bank of more than Rs 13,000 crore along with his uncle Mehul Choksi.

On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate moved a special court in Mumbai seeking Modi’s extradition from some countries, such as the United Kingdom, Belgium and Hong Kong, based on a chargesheet filed against him and Choksi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The special court on Tuesday allowed the agency’s application, ANI reported.

“We always cooperate,” Belgian Ambassador to India Jan Luykx said on the sidelines of a Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce session, PTI reported. “There is an extradition treaty [between Belgium and India] that is old, but still exists. We are a country that respects treaties. Rule of law applies in Belgium.”

Modi is currently believed to be in Belgium but since he has travelled to several countries over the last six months, the extradition request has been kept open-ended so that other countries can be added later.

In February, the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is also probing the case, had asked Interpol to help locate Modi, his wife Ami Modi, brother Nishal Modi and uncle Choksi. Earlier in June, the agency approached the Interpol seeking a Red Corner Notice against Modi and Choksi. However, it has not yet been issued.

Reports earlier this month had claimed that the absconding businessman held as many as six passports, for which a new case might be filed against him. Two of the six passports were active for a while, an official said. India has said that Modi travelled to four countries even after his passport was revoked.

The scam

On February 14, the Punjab National Bank informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that it had detected “fraudulent and unauthorised transactions” worth Rs 11,380 crore at its Brady House branch in South Mumbai. A few officials of the public sector bank had allegedly issued fraudulent Letters of Undertaking to Modi’s companies. Some of them have been arrested and are under investigation.

The bank revised the figure to Rs 12,703 crore and later to around Rs 13,645 crore.