New Delhi: In a big setback to fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, a London court on Monday rejected his bail application for seventh time.
Nirav Modi, who is wanted in India by Central Bureau of Investigation (CB) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case and has been at London’s Wandsworth Prison since his arrest in March 2019, will appear before a court next month, via video-link, for the second phase of his extradition trial.
“The repeated rejection of bail application is a result of excellent coordination among the CBI, External Affairs Ministry and Crown Prosecution Service of the United Kingdom,” a senior official of the agency said.
His four previous attempts to get bail were rejected by District Judge in Westminster Court of London last year on March 20, March 29, May 8 and November 6.
Nirav Modi’s two attempts to get bail from the High Court in London were also rejected on June 12, 2019 and March 5, 2020, they said.
His seventh application came before the Westminster court on Monday which was also rejected, the CBI said.
In the Rs 13,000 crore fraud, Nirav Modi’s companies are accused of siphoning off Rs 6,498 crore of public funds by bribing to manipulate the issuance of Letters of Undertaking issued by Brady House branch of the public sector bank.
(With inputs from PTI)