NEW DELHI: A UK high court on Wednesday rejected fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi’s application to appeal against his extradition to India.
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.
According to news agency PTI, a high court official confirmed that the permission to appeal was “rejected on paper”.
This leaves Nirav 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.
On April 15, 2021, UK home secretary Priti Patel had ordered the 50-year-old diamantaire be extradited to India.
Nirav has been lodged at Wandsworth prison in London since his arrest in London on March 19, 2019.
Nirav Modi had escaped from India on January 1, 2018.
A non bailable arrest warrant was issued by the trial court against him followed by a red corner notice in June 2018 by the Interpol.
He was arrested by the UK Police and his repeated applications for bail, were rejected by the Westminster Magistrates’ court and high court, London.
(With inputs from agencies)