UK court extends Nirav Modi's custody till January 7

Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi appeared before the Westminister Court via videolink for a routine 28day remand hearing today The court further extended his custody till January 7 to conclude hearings in his extradition caseThe 49yearold has been behind bars at Wandsworth Prison in southwest London since his arrest last year following Indias extradition request Nirav Modi is wanted in the country in connection with the estimated 2 billion Punjab National Bank PNB scam caseThe final hearings in the extradition case are scheduled over two days on January 7 and 8 2021 when District Judge Samuel Goozee is scheduled to hear closing arguments from both sides before he hands down his judgment a few weeks laterAt the last full hearing in the case in November Judge Goozee heard the arguments for and against the admissibility of certain witness statements provided by the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI and Enforcement Directorate ED and ruled that the evidence to establish a prima facie case of fraud and money laundering against the fugitive diamantaire is broadly admissibleHe concluded that he considered himself bound by the previous UK court rulings in the extradition case of former Kingfisher Airlines chief Vijay MallyaThe Crown Prosecution Service CPS arguing on behalf of the Indian authorities had stressed that the evidence including witness statements under Section 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure CrPC meets the required threshold for the UK court to determine whether Nirav Modi has a case to answer before the Indian judicial systemThe argument that this is a very specific case distinguishable from Vijay Mallya is frankly nonsense said CPS barrister Helen MalcolmThat Vijay Mallya has a case to answer in India in his fraud and money laundering case has cleared various levels of the UK judicial system and is currently undergoing a confidential legal issue before UK Home Secretary Priti Patel can consider signing off on his extraditionNirav Modis barrister Clare Montgomery who was also the defence counsel in Vijay Mallyas case however disputed that the Section 161 witness statements qualify as similarThe government of India case is not as strong as it was in Mallya said Clare Montgomery as she also raised a specific issue over a witness who was said he didnt speak English in his testimony for the CBI but signed a statement in English for the EDNirav Modi is the subject of two sets of criminal proceedings with the CBI case relating to a largescale fraud upon PNB through the fraudulent obtaining of Letters of Understanding LoUs or loan agreements and the ED case relating to the laundering proceeds of that fraudHe also faces two additional charges of causing the disappearance of evidence and intimidating witnesses or criminal intimidation to cause death added to the CBI caseThe jeweller has been in prison since he was arrested on March 19 2019 on an extradition warrant executed by Scotland Yard and his attempts at seeking bail have been repeatedly turned downThis 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