UK Court rejects Nirav Modi's appeal against extradition

London, Nov 09: Fugitive economic offender Nirav Modi has lost the appeal as UK High Court ordered his extradition to India to face fraud and money laundering charges.

The high ruled that his risk of suicide is not such that it would be either unjust or oppressive to extradite him to India to face charges of fraud and money laundering.

"Pulling these various strands together and weighing them in the balance so as to reach an overall evaluative judgment on the question raised by Section 91, we are far from satisfied that Mr Modi's mental condition and the risk of suicide are such that it would be either unjust or oppressive to extradite him," observed Lord Justice Jeremy Stuart-Smith and Justice Robert Jay, who presided over the appeal hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice.

The court held that District Judge Sam Goozee's Westminster Magistrates' Court order from last year in favour of Nirav Modi's extradition was "sound".

"It may be that the main benefit of the appeal has been to obtain the extensive further [Indian government] assurances that we have identified in the course of this judgment, which render the position clear to Mr Modi's advantage and the District Judge's decision supportable," the judges said, according to news agency PTI.

When will Nirav Modi be extradited to India

Even though Nirav Modi lost his appeal in high court, he can still approach the Supreme Court against the High Court's decision within 14 days of a High Court verdict.

However, he can move the Supreme Court only if the high court agrees that his case involves a point of law of general public importance.

If this option is exhausted, Nirav could still seek a so-called Rule 39 injunction from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

With the high court order India is a step closer to Nirav Modi's extradition but it still has some way to go. His legal team is yet to comment on future plans.

The case against Nirav Modi

Nirav Modi has been accused of benefiting from a huge fraud against the Punjab National Bank, the country's second largest lender, to the tune of more than $2 billion. Court in India has issued warrants for the arrest of Modi and Choksi.

The billionaire also faces two additional charges of "causing the disappearance of evidence" and intimidating witnesses or "criminal intimidation to cause death".

Meanwhile, Nirav Modi remains at Wandsworth Prison in south-west London since his arrest in March 2019.