London: Fugitive diamond trader Nirav Modi, accused of taking loans worth about Rs 13,000 crore from Punjab National Bank and fleeing to the UK without repayment, may be extradited to India soon.
After India sought international assistance, Modi was arrested in London with Interpol support and has since been lodged in a UK prison. Indian agencies, including the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate, have been pursuing his extradition.
A UK court had earlier ordered his extradition, and all subsequent appeals filed by Modi were dismissed. His bail pleas were also rejected.
In a last attempt, Modi approached the European Court of Human Rights in London in April, claiming he would be tortured if sent back to India. That petition has now been dismissed as well.
With all legal avenues exhausted, the UK government has begun steps to execute the extradition order, and he could be handed over to Indian authorities at any time, diplomatic sources were quoted as saying.
