Kamal Ghorui
A UK court has rejected fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi’s petition to reopen his extradition order, bringing him closer to facing charges in India, reports Rajshekhar Jha.The High Court of Justice, King’s Bench Division, while handing down the judgment, observed that the petition and the circumstances surrounding it were not exceptional to revisit earlier extradition order, officials said. CBI has been seeking the extradition of Nirav in connection with a Punjab National Bank scam, with proceedings ongoing since 2018. CBI accuses Nirav Modi of defrauding PNB of Rs 6.5kcrCBI’s bank fraud case accuses Nirav Modi of defrauding PNB of Rs 6,498.2 crore.Following his arrest in the UK in 2019, courts had approved his extradition and rejected earlier appeals, finding no legal barriers and accepting assurances regarding his treatment in India.Although a temporary legal obstacle delayed the process, it was lifted in Aug 2025.Nirav Modi had applied for reopening his appeal, citing concerns about potential ill-treatment, and also questioned whether assurances provided by Indian authorities were sufficient to protect his rights. He has been in a prison in the United Kingdom since March 2019.The Crown Prosecution Service was assisted by a special CBI team, which had travelled to London for the hearing, a CBI spokesperson said. “The reopening application had been filed on the basis of the Bhandari judgment; however, with sustained and coordinated efforts of the investigation agency, the challenge was successfully overcome,” said a senior officer.
