London: Wanted diamond merchant Nirav Modi renewed Tuesday his appeal in the High Court here against being extradited to India. The Indian government is trying to extradite Nirav Modi. He is set to face charges of fraud and money laundering in the estimated USD 2-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case.
The 50-year-old jeweller remains behind bars at Wandsworth Prison in south-west London. Nirav had lost the first stage of the High Court appeals process last week as a judge declined permission to appeal ‘on the papers’. He has remained in prison since his arrest over two years ago March 19, 2019. His repeated attempts at bail were rejected as he is deemed a flight risk
Nirav’s lawyers had five days to file a renewal application seeking an oral hearing to plead the case for permission to appeal against the extradition ordered by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, April 16.
“A renewal hearing is listed for 21 July 2021,” a court official confirmed Tuesday.
At the brief hearing next month, a High Court judge will determine if there are any grounds for an appeal against the Home Secretary’s decision or the Westminster Magistrates Court February ruling in favour of Nirav’s extradition to India for the case should proceed to a full hearing.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which appears in court on behalf of the Indian authorities, has previously said it is waiting for the next stages in the process.
“If they are allowed to appeal then we would contest any appeal proceedings on behalf of the GOI [government of India],” the CPS had said last month.