Is it true that Nirav Modi is being repatriated back to India from the UK?

Nirav Modi, who had absconded to London after committing the $2 billion fraud at Punjab National Bank, may have faced his first reverse on 25 February. One of India’s most high profile diamantaire, Modi, is wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering. Interestingly, on 25 February Modi lost his legal battle after a UK judge ruled that he does have a case to answer before Indian courts.

Nirav Modi is currently lodged in Wandsworth Prison in south-west London and attended the hearing via video link. The judge observed that he was fairly satisfied based on the evidence provided that there was a prima facie case of fraud and money laundering. The judge also added that he would send his ruling to UK's Secretary of State, Priti Patel, who is also of Indian origin.

Currently, in the UK, it is the Cabinet minister who is authorised to order an extradition under the India-UK Extradition Treaty. They now have a time frame of two months within which to make that decision so at least there is more of an accountable time frame involved now. The Judge dismissed the suggestion by Nirav Modi that he would not get justice in India and was of the view that the hearing should be held in India.

Traditionally, in the UK, the Home Secretary order rarely goes against the court order because there is a very narrow bar to extradition which is unlikely to apply in this case. One possibility is if they fear the imposition of death penalty, but that would not be applicable in this case. Now, Nirav Modi has up to 14 days within which to approach the High Court and appeal after the Home Secretary's final decision.

Nirav Modi has already made multiple attempts to seek bail but the same have been repeatedly turned down as he was considered a flight risk. Both the CBI and the ED in India have already proceeded against Modi and are working to get him extradited to India.