UK HC Allows Nirav To Appeal Against Extradition To India Over Depression, Suicide Risk
Mumbai: The UK High Court on Monday granted fugitive diamantaire, Nirav Modi, permission to appeal against an earlier order in the favour of his extradition to India on mental health and human rights grounds.
UK high court Judge Martin Chamberlain ruled that an appeal looking at the consequences to Nirav Modi’s state of mind is “reasonably arguable”.
In June, the UK high court turned down Nirav Modi’s appeal against his extradition to India.
The Westminster Magistrates’ Court in February this year cleared the extradition of Nirav Modi and found him guilty of fraud and money laundering in the PNB fraud. The court also rejected his claim that there would be no fair trial in India. Britain’s Home Secretary Priti Patel approved the extradition in April.
Nirav Modi then approached the UK High Court to find out whether there was any ground to appeal against Patel’s decision or the Westminster Magistrates’ Court order. The High Court judge rejected Modi’s appeal.
According to ANI, Nirav Modi’s lawyer, in an application to appeal against his extradition to the UK High Court last month, said it would seriously affect his mental health and worsen “suicidal feelings”.
Edward Fitzgerald said Modi was “severely depressed” and asked the extradition to be stopped on grounds of mental health, the news agency said.
Fitzgerald said in the application that if Modi had to land in Mumbai’s “Covid-rich” Arthur Road jail, his mental health and suicidal feelings would suffer. The lawyer said it would be “oppressive” to extradite 50-year-old Nirav Modi.
Modi has been accused of defrauding the state-owned PNB of more than $2 billion and has also been charged by the Indian government with witness intimidation and destruction of evidence.
The 50-year-old businessman has been at the Wandsworth Prison in southwest London since March 2019, when he was arrested on the basis of India’s extradition request.
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