Nirav Modi’s fresh bid to delay extradition to India, moves UK court to reopen appeal he lost

Indian fugitive Nirav Modi has filed a fresh appeal in a UK court to delay his extradition to India, where he faces charges of defrauding a bank.

The London court has reportedly agreed to hear his plea, which could put off Nirav Modi’s extradition to India, a move that will be challenged by the Indian government.

Nirav Modi, accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank (PNB) of Rs 6,498 crore, part of a larger Rs 13,578 crore fraud, with around Rs 7,000 crore linked to his uncle Mehul Choksi, has been held at Wandsworth Prison on the outskirts of London since March 19, 2019. He was arrested by Scotland Yard following an extradition request from India.

What have Nirav’s lawyers argued?

According to a report by Hindustan Times, Nirav Modi’s lawyers have argued that “if extradited to India, he will be interrogated by multiple agencies and may face torture during such interrogation.”

“Nirav Modi, through his legal team, filed an application before the Westminster court in the UK last month, seeking to reopen the appeal against his extradition to India. The court has accepted it and a notice has been served to the Indian government,” a government official told the outlet.

In May, a UK court denied bail for the fugitive for the tenth time, noting Nirav Modi’s “very strong incentive” to avoid returning to India due to the seriousness of the economic crime allegations .

What action is the govt taking?

While the Westminster court has not set a date for the hearing of his plea, the government is on standby to take necessary action if Nirav Modi’s extradition is delayed.

“We are preparing a detailed response, to be sent through proper diplomatic channels, rebutting his claims and urging the court to dismiss the application, since the extradition order had already attained finality in 2022,” a government official told HT.

The Indian government also intends to assure the court that, if extradited, Nirav Modi will be tried strictly under Indian law and will not be subjected to interrogation by any agency.