PM Modi seeks speedy extradition of Nirav Modi, Mallya at UK-India summit

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought the speedy extradition of economic offenders Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya from the UK during a virtual summit with his British counterpart Boris Johnson on Tuesday, the ministry of external affairs said.

“They discussed the extradition of economic offenders and Prime Minister [Modi] said that the economic offenders should be sent back to India at the earliest for trial,” Sandeep Chakravorty, joint secretary (Europe West) in the external affairs ministry, told a news briefing.

Last month, UK home secretary Priti Patel approved the extradition of fugitive businessman Nirav Modi after a British court found him guilty of fraud and money laundering in the Punjab National Bank scam.

Nirav Modi is the second high-profile economic offender after former liquor baron Vijay Mallya whose extradition has been cleared by a trial court in the UK. Mallya lost his appeal against extradition in April 2020 and an opportunity to approach the UK Supreme Court the next month but the British government has claimed his extradition is being held up by a “confidential legal issue”.

Officials familiar with Mallya’s case say he has sought asylum in the UK and it is unclear how much time the British authorities will take to decide on his application.

“Prime Minister Johnson said that he faced some legal hurdles because of the nature of the criminal justice system in the UK, but he was aware of it and they will do whatever possible to make sure that these people are extradited at the earliest,” Chakravorty said, without giving details.

Nirav Modi has been held in Wandsworth prison, on the outskirts of London, since March 2019, when he was arrested based on India’s extradition request. As in the case of Mallya, officials from CBI and Enforcement Directorate are confident the UK high court will reject Nirav Modi’s plea against his extradition as there is irrefutable evidence of fraud and money laundering against him.