The London High Court of Justice's King’s Bench Division has once again denied bail to India’s wanted economic fugitive Nirav Modi. This marks the 10th time his bail application has been rejected. Concerns were raised by the Indian government that granting bail could lead to his escape. The court, considering this seriously, chose to deny the bail plea.
In this case, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) lawyer strongly opposed the bail, supported robustly by the CBI team from India. This team, comprising an investigative officer and a legal officer, traveled to London for this purpose. The CBI presented convincing arguments to demonstrate the judicial process could be compromised if Nirav Modi were granted bail. Consequently, the court dismissed his bail application.
Note that Nirav Deepak Modi has been behind bars in the UK since March 19, 2019. He is wanted by the CBI in India for a massive heist involving ₹6,498.20 crore from the Punjab National Bank (PNB). He is already declared an economic fugitive.
Significantly, the UK High Court had previously approved his extradition in favor of the Indian government. The case is now moving towards its final procedural stages, heralding a substantial success in India's legal and international cooperation sectors.
Nirav Arrested in Belgium
The main suspect in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam and fugitive diamond trader, Mehul Choksi, was apprehended in Belgium. He was arrested from a Belgium hospital on April 12. Efforts are now underway to bring him back to India. Indian investigative agencies ED and CBI have initiated the extradition procedure and he could return to India soon.
