Nirav Modi's lawyers make final submissions in his fight against extradition

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Jan 8, 2021

Alleged fraudulent jewellery tycoon Nirav Modi’s lawyers are submitting their final submissions to a UK court, as his extradition draws to a close, and are focusing on Modi’s mental health.

 
Citing the recent UK court’s move to block the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the U.S. on mental health grounds (currently the subject of appeal), Modi’s legal team are hoping to achieve a similar verdict for their client. From January 7 to 8, the final submissions in the case are accepted, and Modi’s team have chosen to focus on his alleged deteriorating mental health as a case against extradition. 
 
“As in the Assange case, the issues here evidentially are the same- the mental condition of Modi and the treatment he would receive given the prison conditions in India,” said Modi’s barrister, Clare Montgomery, the Press Trust of India reported. Montgomery stated that Modi has been in Wandsworth Prison since March 2019 and that it is time for the case to be dismissed. 

Modi’s legal team have also argued that the case has been heavily politicised in India by the BJP and that this has impacted Modi’s ability to be ‘innocent until proven guilty’. Indian authorities, represented by the UK Crown Prosecution Service, argue that this is not the case and that Modi will be treated humanely and given a fair trial in India.
 
Modi faces charges of fraud at a number of banks including the Punjab National Bank along with his uncle and fellow jeweller, Mehul Choksi. The alleged fraud is one of the largest in India’s banking history.