Nirav Modi extradition: UK magistrate court concludes final hearing; verdict on Feb 25

Putting a finality to fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's extradition case, UK's Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, concluded hearing arguments by both sides, fixing February 25 for the verdict. Modi -  who faces charges of fraud, money laundering and intimidating witnesses in the estimated USD 2-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case hopes to use the recent order denying WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition. Modi's troubles have intensified since his sister Purvi Modi and her husband Maiank Mehta who are co-accused, turned approvers in the PNB scam.

Nirav Modi’s lawyers rely on Julian Assange extradition block for his final hearings in UK

Nirav Modi extradition verdict on Feb 25

PNB scam: Trouble mounts for Nirav Modi as his sister & brother-in-law turn approvers

Arguments in court

“As in the Assange case, the issues here evidentially are the same – the mental condition of Modi and the treatment he would receive given the prison conditions in India,” said barrister Clare Montgomery - representing Modi. She reiterated that her client’s mental health has been deteriorating due to his lengthy incarceration since March 2019 and the case must now be dismissed. The CPS  barrister Helen Malcolm, countered the defence stance to say that the two cases were of a “completely different nature”, saying, "Not least as it is impossible to ignore Asperger’s Syndrome as well as depression in the case of Mr Assange".

While the CPS sought an adjournment to the proceedings in order to access Modi’s mental health records to be independently evaluated by a consultant psychiatrist, District Judge Samuel Goozee turned down the application. Goozee concluded that the Indian government had “ample opportunity” to respond to five reports presented by defence witness Dr Andrew Forrester, a forensic psychiatrist who examined Modi on several occasions last year and concluded that “coupled with a severe condition of depression, he presents a high risk of suicide albeit not immediately”. Modi’s lawyers also claim that he would not receive a fair trial in India due to the case being politicised by the “ruling BJP”.

Extradition case: Nirav Modi's judicial custody extended till final hearing in Jan 2021

Nirav Modi & PNB scam

The 49-year old, wanted by India to face charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to nearly USD 2 billion in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) case, has been denied bail at several attempts at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, as the judge ruled there was "substantial risk" that he would fail to surrender and deemed the bail security offered as insufficient. Nirav Modi was arrested by uniformed Scotland Yard officers on an extradition warrant from a Metro Bank branch in central London on March 19 and has been in prison since. During subsequent hearings, Westminster Magistrates' Court was told that Modi was the "principal beneficiary" of the fraudulent issuance of letters of undertaking (LoUs) as part of a conspiracy to defraud PNB and then laundering the proceeds of crime.

Nirav Modi's brother Nehal charged with committing $2.6 million fraud in New York