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Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, in prison for over six years, has told a UK court there are sensational developments to come when his Indian extradition case on fraud and money laundering charges reopens for a hearing in London next month. The 54-year-old appeared in the dock before High Court Judge Simon Tinkler at the Royal Courts of Justice here on Friday to present his defence in an unrelated case, involving an over USD 8 million unpaid Bank of India debt. The judge turned down Nirav's application for a stay on the proceedings on the grounds of technical and medical constraints in prison, which is set to proceed to a trial scheduled in January 2026. They (Bank of India) refer to my extradition I'm still here. There will be some sensational developments, and I have never used these words before, said Nirav, during a pre-trial review hearing. The fugitive diamond merchant, wanted in India in the estimated USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan scam case, told the court he
A London court will on November 23 hear fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's petition to reopen his extradition trial on the grounds that he may face interrogation by agencies if repatriated to India, a claim agencies are likely to counter with an assurance that he will not be quizzed. Modi, who has exhausted all his legal appeals till the Supreme Court, had approached the Westminster Court with a plea to reopen his extradition trial, understood to be on the grounds that if extradited to India, he would be subjected to interrogation by various agencies, which may result in torture, they said. The agencies probing the matter may reiterate their past assurance to the court that Modi, when extradited, will be put to trial in accordance with Indian laws and will not face any interrogation by the agencies. "We have already filed the chargesheets in the case. His questioning is not needed as of now. Our investigation is almost complete. He is needed to face the trial. In case the court in th
The CBI has succeeded in facilitating the return of 134 fugitives from abroad in the last five years -- nearly twice the number of repatriated persons over an entire decade between 2010 and 2019, officials said. Coordinating closely with Interpol as well as state and central enforcement agencies, the CBI was able to secure the extradition or deportation of these 134 fugitives since 2020. Of these, 23 were brought back this year alone. In contrast, only 74 fugitives were brought back during the decade between 2010 and 2019. The uptick in the success rate can easily be attributed to enhanced diplomatic engagements by the government, India's outreach through VVIP visits, bilateral ties, technological advancements, and improved coordination with Interpol, the officials said. The process of extradition has three stages: issuance of a Red Notice by Interpol, geolocation of the fugitive, and third, extradition after legal and diplomatic manoeuvres, all of which are time-consuming ...
The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday said it has attached fresh assets worth Rs 29.75 crore of fugitive diamond trader Nirav Modi under the anti-money laundering law. A provisional order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach these assets that are in the form of bank deposits, land, and buildings, it said in a statement. The agency, which has been probing Modi in the alleged USD 2 billion fraud against the Punjab National Bank for over five years now, has attached assets worth Rs 2,596 crore in India and abroad in the past. Modi, 53, is presently lodged in a UK jail and has lost his extradition plea to India in connection with this alleged bank loan fraud case, which is also being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation. Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, both prime accused in the case, along with others are being probed by the ED on money laundering charges for allegedly perpetrating fraud in connivance with bank officials and b
Businessmen involved in multi-million dollar scams, such as Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya, were able to flee the country because probe agencies failed to arrest them at the proper time, a special court here said recently. Special judge M G Deshpande made the remark while hearing a plea of an accused booked under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) seeking modification in his bail condition. The court on May 29 accepted the plea of Vyomesh Shah, an accused in a money laundering case, to drop the bail condition of getting the court's prior permission to travel abroad. The detailed order was made available recently. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had argued that allowing Shah's application would give rise to situations like Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya and Mehul Choksi. Rejecting the probe agency's contention, the judge said, "I thoughtfully examined this argument and felt it necessary to note that all these persons fled because of the failure of the investigating
The Delhi Police has registered an FIR in connection with posters carrying a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya that came up in several parts of central Delhi, an officer said on Wednesday. The posters carried the caption "Modi ka asli pariwar" (real family of Modi) with 'Bhartiya Yuva Congress' written at the bottom. A senior police officer said a case under Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act has been registered against unknown persons at Tughlak Road Police Station and the posters have been removed. The case was registered at the complaint of an official from the New Delhi Municipal Council on Tuesday, he said. Police said the posters did not carry the name of the publisher or the person who put them up. PM Modi on Monday said 140 crore Indians are his "family," as he mounted a counter-offensive over RJD's Lalu Prasad's "no family" jibe at him. The BJP rallied behind its leader by launching a "Modi Ka Pariva
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said his party colleague Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's suspension from Lok Sabha for using "Nirav Modi" for the prime minister was not right as "nirav" means "silent". Chowdhury, the leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, was suspended on Thursday for allegedly attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and disturbing the ministers. The matter will be referred to the privileges committee. "Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was suspended on a flimsy ground. He had just said 'Nirav Modi'. 'Nirav' means "shaant and silent". For uttering 'Nirav Modi', you are suspending (a member)," Kharge said in the Upper House of Parliament. During a debate, certain remarks are made. "If (a remark) is unparliamentary and hurts someone, at that moment, you can say it is unparliamentary and not correct to use," he said. Kharge kept on speaking even as Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said it happened in the other House. "I am pleading with you as Vice President of