‘Torture Risk During Interrogation’: Nirav Modi Fights Extradition in UK High Court
Nirav Modi cites torture fears during interrogation if extradited to India.
Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi has told a UK High Court that he faces a "real risk of torture" if extradited to India to face trial in the ₹13,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case. Modi's legal team, led by Edward Fitzgerald KC, argued during a March 17, 2026 hearing that his return would expose him to inhuman or degrading treatment during interrogations by Indian agencies like the CBI and ED. They challenged assurances from the Indian government as "neither adequate nor reliable," citing fears of transfer from Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai to Gujarat for questioning, potentially heightening risks. The court, comprising Lord Justice Jeremy Stuart-Smith and Justice Robert Jay, reserved its verdict after a day-long session.
This latest bid follows years of legal battles, including the UK Supreme Court's 2025 dismissal of Modi's final appeal against extradition, clearing major hurdles after his 2019 approval by then-Home Secretary Priti Patel. Modi, arrested in 2019 and held in London's Pentonville prison, has cited the Sanjay Bhandari case—where human rights concerns halted extradition—as precedent, though Indian prosecutors call his application untimely and baseless.
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India maintains robust safeguards, emphasizing "significant protective factors" like judicial oversight to prevent breaches, which could impact future bilateral extraditions. The PNB fraud, uncovered in 2018, involved fake Letters of Undertaking that siphoned billions, devastating the state-run bank and shaking India's financial sector. Modi's brother Nehal and uncle Mehul Choksi remain absconding, with Choksi in Belize.
A denial of permission to reopen could pave the way for Modi's immediate extradition, ending an eight-year saga that strained India-UK ties. Analysts view his torture claims skeptically amid India's improving human rights record in high-profile cases, but the hearing underscores ongoing tensions in cross-border fugitives.
As the verdict looms, Indian agencies prepare logistics, with a joint CBI-ED team having previously attended UK proceedings. Modi's plea highlights the high stakes: freedom in exile versus justice for one of India's largest banking scandals.
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