Second phase five-day hearing begins on extradition of Nirav Modi in UK court
The second phase of the extradition case of fugitive diamond trader Nirav Modi has started in the UK court today.
The hearing will last five days in Westminster Magistrate Court, London. Nirav Modi has been accused of fraud of around Rs 14,000 crore from Punjab National Bank (PNB).
He has been lodged in a London jail since his arrest in March. A lawsuit has been filed against a 49-year-old diamond trader in a money laundering case in India. The Government of India, through the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) of Britain, has filed a case in London-based Westminster court over Nirav's extradition. The court directed Modi to appear through video conference in view of the Corona sanctions.
If everything goes in a time bound manner, then this five-day trial can be over on Friday. Judge Goozee presided over the first phase of extradition hearings in May. The UK (UK Crown Prosecution Service, CPS) was then requested to run a prima facie case of fraud and money laundering against Modi. After submission of evidence by the Government of India, an upcoming hearing will be held to complete the arguments.
Stis Gooji found prima facie allegations of fraud and money laundering leveled against Nirav Modi at a hearing in May. In the current hearing, the evidence presented by the Government of India will be debated and the court will decide on them. Recently, the capital market regulator SEBI had ordered the seizure of bank and demat accounts and lockers of Gitanjali Gems and its executive director Dhanesh Seth and fugitive Mehul Choksi.
