It was in July last year, that India had approached UK for extradition of fugitive diamond billionaire Nirav Modi. It has been eight months since the extradition request has been sent, said sources in the Enforcement Directorate which is now scrambling to pursue its case in haste as the media in UK spotted Nirav Modi in London, causing red faces in the government.
ED officials said that the UK central authority of home office has confirmed that the extradition request has been certified by the UK home secretary and the same has been sent to the Westminster Magistrates court for the district judge for further proceedings. “The matter is in a foreign court, under a foreign jurisdiction. We have a limited role to play and can only pursue it legally,” said an official.
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A team of the ED and CBI officials will travel to UK to pursue the matter.
Interpol Red Corner notices have also been issued against Nirav Modi; his brother Nishal Modi; Aditya Nanavati, an accused and employee of a Nirav modi firm in the same case; sister Purvi Modi; Mihir Bhansali, a US-based partner of Modi and Subhash Parab, an executive in the Nirav Modi firm.
Meanwhile, Letters Rogatory for judicial assistance were sent to 14 different parts of the world including Belgium, Armania, China, France, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, UAE, Singapore, Switzerland, South Africa, Hong Kong, UK and US.
Modi-owned firms namely M/S Diamond R US, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamond fraudulently got letters of undertaking issued amounting to USD 1015.35 from February 2011 to March 2017 from Punjab National Bank in Mumbai.
On the basis of the FIR registered by the CBI, the ED subsequently registered its case of money laundering against Modi and his associates. Searches were conducted at 76 locations across the country and multiple summons issued to Modi. His properties were confiscated and passport revoked by the MEA.
