The Interpol on Monday issued a Red Notice against diamond merchant Nirav Modi, his brother Neeshal Modi, and their employee Shubash Parab on the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI, which have invoked criminal and money laundering charges against them.
The Red Notice not only restricts a fugitive's movement in 192 member-countries of the Interpol, but also empowers enforcement agencies in the respective foreign jurisdictions to detain the person for deportation or extradition to the requesting country.
The ED has launched a probe against Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi, and others on the basis of FIRs registered by the CBI to pursue those involved in the ₹13,578-crore Punjab National Bank fraud.
Both the agencies have filed initial charge sheets against Modi and had requested the Interpol to issue Red Notice seeking his location and detention. The current location of Modi, who flew out of the country along with his family in the first week of January, is not clear.
Plea to court for permission to send extradition request
The ED has also moved the Mumbai Special Court seeking permission to send a request for extraditing him. While the application will be sent to the United Kingdom, the agency will also write to other countries seeking cooperation in his arrest.
After the CBI registered the cases against him, Modi has visited the U.K. at least thrice
In a bid to track him down, the CBI has also written several times to the U.K., the United States, United Arab Emirates, Beligum and Singapore. In response to a diffusion notice, the CBI said, the Interpol’s Manchester office had informed it about his movements till March 31.
Modi landed at London's Heathrow airport from the U.S. on February 10. He travelled from Hong Kong to Heathrow on February 15, and a month later, from Heathrow back to Hong Kong. He again went from the U.S. to London on March 28, and then to Paris on March 31.