A fresh bail petition filed by fugitive diamond businessman Nirav Modi against his extradition was rejected by the High Court of Justice, King’s Bench Division, London on Thursday.

The bail arguments were strongly opposed by the Crown Prosecution Service advocate, who was assisted by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team consisting of investigating and law officers who had flown to London for this purpose.

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According to the CBI, it was able to successfully defend the arguments that led to the rejection of Nirav’s bail plea. Nirav has been in a UK prison for over six years, fighting extradition to India in connection with the bank fraud case.

To be precise, he has been in a UK prison since March 19, 2019. It may also be recalled that the fugitive economic offender is wanted for trial in India in connection with a CBI case for allegedly defrauding Punjab National Bank (PNB) of Rs 6,498.20 crore.

His extradition has already been approved by the High Court of the UK in favour of the Government of India. This is his 10th bail petition since his detention in the UK, and it was successfully opposed by the CBI through the Crown Prosecution Service in London.

Earlier, a month ago, Mehul Choksi, the diamond businessman wanted in the case along with Modi, was arrested in Belgium following an extradition request from the Indian agencies. Choksi is Nirav Modi’s maternal uncle and has been living abroad with his wife.

Nirav is a co-accused in the case along with Choksi, and both of them had reportedly fled the country in the face of a huge scam way back in 2018.
Modi is wanted by the CBI as well as the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) for allegedly cheating the bank by using fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs).