UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel, approves extradition of Nirav Modi to India in connection with the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case
Nirav Modi had absconded from India before the Indian authorities could prosecute him and his associates, and is accused of duping the Punjab National Bank of more than Rs 13,000 crore.
United Kingdom’s Home Minister Priti Patel on Friday approved the extradition of fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi to India, to his face his trial.
Nirav Modi had absconded from India before the Indian authorities could prosecute him and his associates, and is accused of duping the Punjab National Bank of more than Rs 13,000 crore.
For a while his whereabouts were unknown to everyone, until march 2019, when Nirav Modi was spotted by someone in West End, London roaming freely.
With this knowledge Indian authorities CBI and ED approached UK courts to arrest Nirav Modi and deport him back to India so that he could be prosecuted according to Indian laws.
The Central Bureau of Investigation had said the Westminster Magistrates’ Court ruling was “significant” and that it should serve as a reminder to all fugitives, who have indulged in large value frauds, that they cannot escape the law merely by changing their countries of residence.
For almost a year now Nirav Modi had been arrested by UK authorities and had been lodged in UK jail from where he was contesting his extradition to India.
According to CBI officials, it now appears that with UK’s Home Minister’s approval for his extradition to India, most of the obstacles are cleared and Nirav will soon be extradited to India.
