Nirav Modi in UK, CBI files for extradition

Authorities in the United Kingdom have confirmed that Nirav Modi is in the UK. The CBI has moved an extradition request through proper channels.


In fact, on August 2, V K Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, had informed the Rajya Sabha that the request for extradition of the jeweller from the UK had been sent to the High Commission of India in London.


He told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a question that the Ministry of External Affairs had received a request from the Ministry of Home Affairs for the extradition of Modi from the UK.



"The request has been sent by a special diplomatic bag to the High Commission of India, London for onward transmission to the UK authorities," Singh told Parliament.


Modi is going to be the 29th fugitive India has asked UK to extradite since 2002.


The UK government in the past 16 years has rejected India's request for extradition in the case of nine fugitives. The extradition requests of business tycoon Vijay Mallya is still pending.


Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are both accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank of about Rs 14,000 crore, seen as the biggest ever banking fraud in the country.


Both left India in January before PNB lodged a complaint with the Central Bureau of Investigation that the duo had defrauded it of Rs 280 crore. The subsequent complaints lodged by the PNB took the quantum of the scam to about Rs 14,000 crore.