UK Court rejects Nirav Modi's plea to halt his extradition to India

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Jun 24, 2021

The UK’s High Court in London has rejected jewellery tycoon Nirav Modi’s application to overturn Westminster Magistrates’ Court’s ruling to extradite him to India to stand trial for fraud at the Punjab National Bank.

Nirav Modi’s extradition trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court concluded with a ruling for him to be extradited to India, a ruling which the UK Home Secretary then sign off on. Modi and his legal team chose to begin appeal proceedings against the ruling and the first of these has now been rejected, ET Online reported. However, further appeals could still be open to Modi.
 
Modi has been declared a Fugitive Economic Offender by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act Court in Mumbai for allegedly playing a lead role in one of the largest scale frauds in India’s banking history. Modi has remained in UK police custody since his arrest in London in 2019 and Indian authorities have informed UK authorities that he will be held in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai when he is brought to India, should all of his appeals be rejected. 

While Modi faces the rejection of another appeal in the UK, his uncle and fellow accused Mehul Choksi is appealing his charges of illegal entry into Dominica where he states he was kidnapped and taken to from Antigua where he was residing as s citizen. Choksi’s alleged kidnapping is continuing to cause a political stir in the Caribbean and Antigua and Barbuda’s prime minister Gaston Browne has faced allegations from opposition parties that he was aware of or played a part in the operation, which he denies.