The United Kingdom’s Home Secretary Priti Patel signed scam-accused billionaire Nirav Modi’s extradition, a Central Bureau of Investigation official said on Friday, reported news agency ANI.
The fugitive diamond merchant is wanted in India on the charges of fraud and money-laundering – arrested in March 2019 in London and charged with money laundering and defrauding a bank of more than Rs 11,000 crore.
He had allegedly perpetrated the fraud in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) in collusion with his uncle Mehul Choksi.
Back in February, a UK court had reportedly ordered his extradition to India to stand trial after dismissing arguments of his “mental health concerns,” saying they are not unusual in a man in his circumstances.
“I do not accept that Nirav Modi was involved in a legitimate business. I find no genuine transactions and believe there is a process of dishonesty,” the judge said, as reported by NDTV.
The judge continued, “Many of these are a matter for trial in India. I am satisfied again that there is evidence he could be convicted. Prima facie there is a case of money laundering.”
The findings of the court were sent to the UK Home Department as per which it cleared the extradition.
Nirav Modi was once a celebrity jeweller to movie stars in India and abroad. He was arrested in 2019 from a metro station in London on an extradition warrant and was repeatedly denied bail as he was seen as a flight risk.
