A London court on Monday, 18 March, issued an arrest warrant against Punjab National Bank scam-accused Nirav Modi based on the Enforcement Directorate's request for extradition, PTI reported citing officials.
According to the report, officials informed the investigative agency about the issuance of the warrant by the Westminster Magistrate Court and said that Modi is expected to be put under formal arrest by the local police soon.
Modi, who is accused in Rs 14,000-crore PNB fraud case, was spotted in London after a video by The Telegraph showed him walking in the city, claiming that he was “living openly” in an “$8 million apartment” in London’s West End.
Tracked Down in London
A group of reporters tracked down Nirav Modi at Oxford Street in London, where the fugitive billionaire refused to answer questions, yet again.
Modi was asked if he was going to contest the proceedings against him, whether he has resumed business and what will be his next course of action, among others.
However, his standard response to all the questions was – “no comments.”
MEA on Extradition Process
The ED early this month had said that United Kingdom's Home Secretary Sajid Javid had referred India's request for extraditing Modi to a court for initiating legal proceedings against the diamantaire.
Responding to these reports, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had also said that “all necessary steps are being taken for the his extradition.”
“We have been aware of his presence in the UK. It (extradition request) is under their (UK government’s) consideration,” Kumar had told news agency ANI.
The CBI had also extended all necessary help to the United Kingdom authorities for extradition of Nirav Modi, reported PTI.
Following his sighting, the Congress had slammed the BJP government for its "failure" to bring back Modi to justice.
On 11 March, the ED in a supplementary chargesheet named Modi's wife Ami Modi for being the beneficiary of alleged purchase of two apartments at Central Park in New York using $30 million laundered money, which her husband had obtained fraudulently from PNB through Letters of Undertaking (LoU) and Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs), IANS reported.
Nirav Modi fled India in January 2018 days before the PNB scam broke.
(With inputs from PTI)
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