Indian authorities to send evidence against Nirav Modi’s brother to Belgium

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Nov 8, 2019

Indian authorities are working to proceed against accused jeweller Nirav Modi’s brother, Belgian citizen Nehal Modi, in the Punjab National Bank fraud case and plan to send evidence against him to Belgium.

Six months ago, Belgian authorities refused India’s Central Bureau of Information’s request to extradite Nehal Modi to India to stand trial for his alleged part in the PNB fraud because he is a Belgian citizen. Since then, the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate have been gathering evidence on Nehal Modi, which they plan to submit to Belgian authorities in the hope that he will be tried in Belgium, sources told ET Bureau. 

“While the rejection of the extradition request is a major setback, subsequently the matter was studied and a decision was taken to share the evidence collected against Nehal with Belgium and request them to bring him to justice as per their laws,” an official source told ET Bureau.

“The allegations include those pertaining to money laundering, cheating and conspiring to commit an economic offence, crimes for which there are local laws in every country. We are hopeful that Belgium might act on our request.”

Nehal Modi was the director of Firestar Diamonds USA, which is no longer running. The ED’s charge sheet against Nehal accuses him of knowingly and intentionally helping his brother Nirav launder money and destroy key evidence in the case. 

Indian authorities are also attempting to extradite Nirav Modi to India from the UK. Nirav Modi has been in UK police custody in Wandsworth Prison outside London since his arrest in London in March this year.