UK court issues arrest warrant against Nirav Modi, likely to be taken into custody soon

London, Mar 18: A London court has issued an arrest warrant against jewellery designer Nirav Modi, the main accused in the PNB scam case, in response to an ED request for his extradition in a money laundering case.

They said the investigative agency has been informed about the issuance of the warrant by the Westminster Magistrate Court against Modi and he is expected to be put under formal arrest by the local police soon.

Modi will be subsequently brought before the court to secure bail and the legal proceedings for his extradition will begin thereafter, they said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), early this month, had said that United Kingdom's home secretary Sajid Javid had referred India's request for extraditing Modi to a court for initiating legal proceedings against the diamantaire.

The ED and the CBI are investigating Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi and others for alleged money laundering and corruption to perpetrate the alleged scam in the Brady House branch of the PNB in Mumbai that was unearthed last year.

The ED had filed the first chargesheet in this case in May last year.

Nirav Modi, Choksi and other accused are facing charges under the PMLA Act and the Indian Penal Code in the fraud case which is being probed by multiple agencies, including the ED.

According to a UK media report last week, Nirav Modi is currently living in a three-bedroom flat occupying half of a floor of the landmark Centre Point tower block in London, where rent is estimated to cost 17,000 pounds a month.