Nirav Modi has asked the London High Court to reopen his extradition proceedings, arguing he faces a “real risk of torture” if returned to India. Modi, who was ordered extradited in April 2021, is accused in India of fraud and money laundering connected to an alleged $2 billion scandal at state-owned Punjab National Bank.
At the latest hearing Modi took part virtually while three officers from India’s Central Bureau of Investigation attended in person. His barrister relied on a legal precedent in which a defence-sector consultant’s extradition was refused on human-rights grounds after similar claims about the risk posed by Indian investigators. Modi has repeatedly pursued bail and appeals in the UK, all of which have so far failed.
The Crown Prosecution Service, acting for the Indian authorities, told the court that assurances already given tackle these concerns and said the high-profile nature of the case meant those assurances should be treated as binding. Reporters said the judge described the matter as of “extreme importance” to both Modi and the Indian officials present and that a judgment would be handed down as soon as possible.
Modi became well known as a luxury jeweller with international shops and prominent clients before he left India in 2018 after irregularities at PNB emerged. The scandal was exposed following the retirement of a bank official and subsequent scrutiny that revealed large unsecured loans and alleged fraudulent transactions.
Interpol later issued an arrest notice and Modi was detained in the UK, prompting the extradition process. If returned to India he would face trial on charges tied to the allegedly fraudulent loans and money laundering. His current defence focuses on alleged risks of ill-treatment by investigators and broader human-rights protections.
The UK court must now balance those human-rights claims against previously given assurances and legal precedent before reaching its final decision.