UK court adjourns Nirav Modi’s extradition trial to September

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
May 15, 2020

On May 14, the UK court hearing jeweller Nirav Modi’s extradition case for his alleged fraud decided to adjourn the trial to be resumed from September 7 this year. 

 
Modi’s extradition trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, UK was scheduled to conclude on May 15, but the court decided to postpone the trial until September after Indian authorities presented a new set of documents as additional evidence on Wednesday, the Press Trust of India reported. District Judge Samuel Goozee allowed the Indian authorities to introduce the additional evidence into the case but stated that Modi’s legal team must be given time to “digest” these new documents.
 
The trial was also held remotely due to travel restrictions and social distancing regulations in the UK due to the coronavirus pandemic. Modi did not attend the hearing in person and instead observed via a video-link from a room in Wandsworth Prison where he has been held since his arrest in March last year.

“I hope Mr Modi by the time we get to September, the current restrictions on movement from prisons have been eased and you can be in court in person to follow the proceedings,” the judge said to Modi at the end of the partial case hearing, the Press Trust of India reported.
 
Another hearing had already been planned to deal with the second extradition request made by Indian authorities against Modi for allegedly destroying evidence and criminally intimidating witnesses. The second hearing will now also conclude the prima facie case arguments, which were examined during the first hearing. An overall judgement will be made on both extradition requests when the postponed trial concludes, which is expected ton be on September 11, 2020.
 
Modi is accused, along with his and fellow jeweller Uncle Mehul Choksi, of fraud at the Punjab National Bank in one of India’s highest value fraud cases to date. Should the UK court decide to extradite Modi to India to stand trial, an appeal process will still be open to him.