FUGITIVE businessman Nirav Modi, who has been in a UK prison for more than six years, has told a court there will be “sensational developments” when his extradition case to India resumes next month.
The 54-year-old appeared before High Court Judge Simon Tinkler at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Friday in an unrelated civil case involving an unpaid loan of over USD 8 million to the Bank of India.
The judge rejected Modi’s request to delay the case on technical and medical grounds raised from prison. The matter is set to go to trial in January 2026.
“They (Bank of India) refer to my extradition… I'm still here. There will be some sensational developments, and I have never used these words before,” Modi said during a pre-trial review hearing.
Modi, wanted in India in connection with the estimated USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank fraud case, told the court he was “extremely hopeful” of being discharged or granted bail after the court agreed to consider new evidence despite what he called a “high bar”.
The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that Modi “has lodged an application to reopen his (extradition) appeal”, with Indian authorities having already filed their response. The hearing is expected to take place towards the end of November.
Representing himself as a “litigant in person”, Modi read from handwritten notes as he addressed the judge. Prison officers stood nearby as he spoke about difficulties with his eyesight and delays in accessing a computer while in custody, which he said made the legal process unfair.
“I understand this is an adversarial process and they (Bank of India) can say anything against me. But they keep on making assumptions; I would say, spend one day in prison… there needs to be some basic common sense,” he said, appearing agitated during the hearing.
The Bank of India, represented by barrister Tom Beasley and RWK Goodman’s Milan Kapadia, is pursuing Modi’s personal guarantee related to a loan to Dubai-based Firestar Diamond FZE. They said that delaying the proceedings would be unfair as it would indefinitely postpone the bank’s claim.
“If he is extradited, he will likely remain in custody… He will also be in a different time zone,” Beasley told the court, adding that the bank “remains sceptical” about Modi’s “claimed lack of funds”.
Justice Tinkler ruled that maintaining the court timetable outweighed other factors and said that reasonable measures were being taken to ensure fairness in the case.
“It is clear that some (medical) issues do affect his ability to work and will, in all likelihood, affect his ability to participate in the trial without reasonable adjustments being made,” the judge said, referring to a confidential medical report.
He said the seven-day trial scheduled for January would allow enough time to accommodate Modi’s medical needs. The court was also informed that prison authorities would provide him with a computer within a week, and hard copies of legal documents would be sent before another pre-trial hearing in early December.
Modi’s in-person appearance followed a “production order” from the court, which led to logistical issues over his return to custody. He was moved from HMP Thameside in south London, where he has been held, to HMP Pentonville in north London.
The businessman requested that the court note his preference for a single cell, but the judge said this was beyond the court’s jurisdiction. However, the judge directed that all his papers be transferred with him or that he be returned to Thameside soon.
Modi has been in prison since his arrest in March 2019 and has repeatedly been denied bail on grounds that he poses a flight risk, most recently in May this year.
He faces three criminal cases in India: one by the Central Bureau of Investigation related to the PNB fraud, another by the Enforcement Directorate over alleged money laundering, and a third for alleged interference with witnesses and evidence.
In April 2021, then UK Home Secretary Priti Patel ordered his extradition after a prima facie case was established. Modi had exhausted all legal challenges until his recent application to reopen the appeal was accepted. The case is set to be heard next month.
(With inputs from agencies)
