UK Court extends Indian jeweller Nirav Modi’s remand until July 25

A BRITISH court extended the remand of fugitive Indian jeweller Nirav Modi until July 25.

Modi appeared via video link from jail for a regular remand hearing before Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, yesterday (27).

Modi, 48, is wanted in India for legal proceedings in connection with $2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case. He fights against the efforts of Indian probe agencies to get extradited him from the UK.

Since Modi’s arrest in March by uniformed Scotland Yard officers on an extradition warrant, he has been kept at Wandsworth prison in south-west London.

The UK high court rejected Modi’s bail petition on June 12 after the embattled businessman filed his fourth bail request.

Under British law, the diamondaire is expected to be produced before the court every month.

Meanwhile, four Swiss bank accounts of Modi and his sister Purvi Modi were ‘frozen’ by the officials in Switzerland as part of the criminal money laundering probe being conducted against them in India.

According to the officials the accounts, at present, have deposits totalling Rs 2.8316bn (£32.30 million).

The bank accounts of the duo were blocked following the request of the Indian probe agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) after it informed the Swiss officials that the sum kept in the bank accounts were proceeds of crime of a bank fraud perpetrated by the two and others.