I could be in England for years: Nirav Modi tells UK court

Nirav Modi the fugitive diamond merchant wanted in India to stand trial on fraud and money laundering charges told a UK court on Thursday that he could be in England for years as some ongoing proceedings prevent his extraditionThe 52yearold former billionaire appeared for a hearing at Barkingside Magistrates Court in east London via video link from Thameside prison in relation legal costs or fines amounting to GBP 15024700 accrued over his failed extradition appeal proceedings in the London High CourtDressed in a pink prisonissue outfit and sporting a moustache a plump and bald Nirav addressed the threemember magistrates bench to reveal that he had complied with the previous court direction to pay in GBP 10000 per month towards the finesI am in prison on remand and remain unconvicted I am here because of an extradition request from the Indian government Nirav told the court when asked for the reason behind his continued imprisonmentQuestioned if he was aware of a timeframe for the extradition proceedings to be completed he responded unfortunately notTo clarify I was arrested in midMarch for extradition Some proceedings are still going on which stop my extradition to India It is very likely I will be in England for a long time could be three months six months could be years he said as the court deliberated upon the length of adjournmentTaking note of the uncertainty the case related to the unpaid fines was adjourned to February 8 2024 when Nirav would again be expected to appear via video link from prisonMeanwhile the outstanding fines balance was confirmed as GBP 70247 which the diamantaire said he intends to carry on paying towards to reduce the balance so as not to be in contempt of courtAt an earlier hearing listed for the same court in September it emerged that Nirav had been transferred out of HMP His Majestys Prison Wandsworth one of the UKs largest and most overcrowded prisons to the privatelyrun HMP Thameside in southeast LondonThe news of the transfer came days after a major manhunt was launched after a terrorist suspect escaped Wandsworth prison in southwest London The escape had raised serious questions around alleged understaffing and overcrowding at Wandsworth where Nirav had been lodged since his arrest on an extradition warrant in March 2019Last year Nirav lost his legal battle in the highest UK court against being extradited to India in the estimated USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank PNB loan scam case But his case is now said to be statute barred indicating further pending litigation which could be linked to a confidential asylum applicationAt the last procedural hearing in March this year Barkingside Magistrates Court had granted his plea to be allowed to pay GBP 10000 a month using borrowed funds after he told the court of his financial hardships due to his assets being frozen in India This weeks hearing was scheduled as a review of that previous orderIn December last year a twojudge bench in the Royal Courts of Justice in London had refused Niravs application for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court on suicide risk grounds and also refused his application to certify a point of law which concluded his extradition appeal options in the UK courtsNirav was arrested on March 19 2019 on an extradition warrant based on Central Bureau of Investigation CBI and Enforcement Directorate ED charges against the businessmanThere are three sets of criminal proceedings against the diamantaire in India the CBI case of fraud on the PNB which caused losses equivalent to over GBP 700 million the ED case relating to the alleged laundering of the proceeds of that fraud and a third set of criminal proceedings involving alleged interference with evidence and witnesses in the CBI proceedingsThen UK Home Secretary Priti Patel had ordered Niravs extradition based on Judge Sam Goozees Westminster Magistrates Court ruling in April 2021This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever