Nirav Modi could be extradited from UK in 28 days
Fugitive billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi is likely to be extradited to India from the United Kingdom (UK) in 28 days. The last legal avenue left for him closed when the high court rejected his plea to appeal against extradition in the Supreme Court. He now faces deportation unless he gets an emergency injunction from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) or British asylum.
Why does this story matter?
Modi, whose jewelry empire once redefined luxury, is accused of orchestrating the biggest fraud in India's banking history to the tune of Rs. 13,578 crore. He fled the country in 2018, later settled in London, and was tracked by a journalist with The Telegraph. He was arrested by UK authorities in March 2019 while trying to open a bank account.
Application refused last month also
A London high court, with no counsel and just four reporters present, dismissed Modi's application to appeal his extradition in the Supreme Court, his last resort. Last month, a similar plea challenging his extradition as an economic offender in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case was rejected. The case is under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Ordered to pay Rs. 1.52 crore legal costs last month
He was spotted wearing a black ostrich hide jacket worth Rs. 11-lakh and was reported to be living a luxurious life in a Rs. 74-crore apartment in London. He is currently in UK custody since his arrest in 2019. While rejecting his application last month, the judge ordered him to pay Rs. 1.52 crore as legal costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.
India made 3 extradition pleas until now
India has made three extradition requests to the UK in the three respective criminal cases he is facing in India. The first case is associated with the alleged PNB fraud. The ED is handling the second case relating to laundering the proceeds of the fraud. The third case relates to additional offenses of interfering with evidence and witnesses regarding the CBI investigation.
Court rejected application, barred him from directly approaching SC
The court which rejected his plea against extradition last month also dismissed his application seeking certification of a point of law of general public importance—which would have opened doors for Modi to seek permission to appeal directly in the Supreme Court.
