New Delhi: A UK High Court on Wednesday rejected Nirav Modi’s application to appeal against his extradition to India. Fugitive diamond merchant, Nirav Modi, accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank (PNB) of around $2 billion (Rs 14,000 crore), had lodged an appeal in the London high court last month.
The appeal was before a High Court judge for a decision “on the papers” submitted for the appeal to determine if there are any grounds for an appeal against the Home Secretary’s decision or the Westminster Magistrates Court February ruling in favour of Nirav Modi’s extradition to India to face charges of fraud and money laundering.
A High Court official confirmed that the permission to appeal was “rejected on paper” on Tuesday, which leaves the 50-year-old jeweller with a chance to make his case at a brief oral hearing in the High Court with a renewed “leave to appeal” application for a judge to determine if it can proceed to a full appeal hearing.
As per legal guidelines, Nirav as an appellant has five business days to apply for such an oral consideration, giving him time until next week. If a renewal application is made, it will be listed before a high court judge for a hearing. It is understood that Nirav Modi plans to make such an application, PTI said.
“We are waiting to see if they do apply for permission to appeal. If they are allowed to appeal then we would contest any appeal proceedings on behalf of the GOI (government of India),” the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which appears in court on behalf of the Indian authorities, said last month.
(With agency inputs)