Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

UK court okays extradition of Nirav Modi; Priti Patel to make the final ruling

A fugitive Indian jeweller on Thursday (25) lost his bid to avoid extradition from Britain to face claims of involvement in a massive bank fraud.

District Judge Sam Goozee told Nirav Modi at a court hearing in central London there was enough evidence to suggest there was a criminal case against him in his homeland.


Modi fled India in February 2018 after being accused of having a central role in a $2 billion fraud involving Punjab National Bank (PNB).

Before the alleged fraud, which rocked corporate India, Forbes magazine estimated his wealth at $1.73 billion, placing him 85th on India's rich list.

Modi, who owned luxury jewellery stores across the world with celebrity customers, including Hollywood and Bollywood stars, was arrested in London in March 2019.

The 49-year-old is accused of defrauding the bank -- which is one of India's biggest public lenders -- and laundering the proceeds, as well as witness intimidation and destroying evidence.

Judge Goozee dismissed submissions from his legal team that he would not be treated fairly in India, and said there was not enough evidence from doctors to believe he was a suicide risk.

Modi, dressed in a dark suit and white shirt, attended the hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court via videolink from prison where he is being held on remand.

Goozee said the matter would be sent to home secretary Priti Patel to make the final ruling on extradition. The home secretary has two months to make a decision.

According to reports, the home secretary's order rarely goes against the court's conclusions, as she has to consider only some very narrow bars to extradition which are unlikely to apply in this case, including the possible imposition of a death penalty.

Following this, Modi has 14 days to approach the high court and seek leave to appeal after the home secretary's decision.

Any appeal, if granted, will be heard at the administrative division of the high court in London, reports said.

Modi’s legal battle marks one of a number of high-profile extradition cases involving accused Indian economic offenders in the UK.

While former Kingfisher Airlines boss Vijay Mallya remains on bail as a "confidential" matter related to his extradition to India is resolved, accused arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari’s extradition case is scheduled for its next hearing in April.

In February 2020, wanted cricket bookie Sanjeev Chawla was extradited to face charges in India and became the first extradition of its kind under the India-UK Extradition Treaty, signed in 1992.

A previous extradition of Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, wanted in connection with the Godhra riots in Gujarat, from the UK to India in October 2016 had been uncontested and therefore did not have to go through various levels of appeals in the UK courts.

More For You

Starmer-Getty

Starmer has said the NHS must 'reform or die' and promised changes that would control the rising costs of caring for an ageing population without increasing taxes. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Starmer outlines 10-year NHS reform strategy

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer will on Thursday launch a 10-year strategy aimed at fixing the National Health Service (NHS), which he said was in crisis. The plan seeks to ease the pressure on overstretched hospitals and shift care closer to people’s homes.

The NHS, which is publicly funded and state-run, has faced difficulties recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. It continues to experience annual winter pressures, repeated waves of industrial action, and a long backlog for elective treatments.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer-Reeves-Getty

Starmer and Reeves during a visit to Horiba Mira in Nuneaton, to mark the launch of the Government's Industrial Strategy on June 23, 2025 in Nuneaton. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Reeves ‘going nowhere’, says Starmer after tears in parliament

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer on Wednesday said that Chancellor Rachel Reeves would remain in her role for “a very long time to come”, after she appeared visibly upset in parliament as questions were raised about her future.

Reeves was seen with tears rolling down her face during Prime Minister’s Questions, after Starmer did not confirm whether she would remain chancellor until the next general election, expected in 2029.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bangladesh begins trial over slain student activist

Chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, Muhammad Yunus , prays at Abu Sayeed’s grave

Bangladesh begins trial over slain student activist

BANGLADESH opened on Monday (30) the murder trial of student protester Abu Sayeed, whose killing last year escalated demonstrations nationwide that ultimately ousted then prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Sayeed died aged 23 in the northern city of Rangpur, the first student demonstrator killed in the police crackdown on protests.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-trump-getty
Modi shakes hands with Trump before a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 25, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

Indian exporters watch closely as Trump says trade deal with India likely

THE US could reach a trade deal with India that would help American companies compete more easily in the Indian market and reduce tariff rates, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. However, he cast doubt on a similar deal with Japan.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said he believed India was ready to lower trade barriers, potentially paving the way for an agreement that would avoid the 26 per cent tariff rate he had announced on April 2 and paused until July 9.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fathers over 60 help 'reverse UK birthrate decline'

Photo for representation (Photo: iStock)

Fathers over 60 help 'reverse UK birthrate decline'

THE UK has recorded its first increase in births since 2021, with a notable rise in babies born to fathers over 60 helping to lift the numbers, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

 

In 2024, there were 594,677 live births in England and Wales, up 0.6 per cent from the previous year. While this is a modest increase, it marks a change after several years of decline.

Keep ReadingShow less