London court rejects Nirav Modi’s bail application for seventh time

New Delhi, October 26

A London court on Monday rejected the bail application filed by fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, the seventh such rejection by courts of the United Kingdom, officials said here.

Modi, who is wanted in connection with the Rs 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank fraud perpetrated by him and his uncle Mehul Choksi, was arrested in London on March 19 last year on CBI’s extradition request, they said.

“The repeated rejection of bail application is a result of excellent coordination among the CBI, External Affairs Ministry and Crown Prosecution Service of the United Kingdom,” a senior official of the agency said.

His four previous attempts to get bail were rejected by District Judge in Westminster Court of London last year on March 20, March 29, May 8 and November 6.

Modi’s two attempts to get bail from the High Court in London were also rejected on June 12, 2019 and March 5, 2020, they said.

His seventh application came before the Westminster court on Monday which was also rejected, the CBI said.

In the Rs 13,000-crore fraud, Modi’s companies are accused of siphoning off Rs 6,498 crore of public funds by bribing to manipulate the issuance of Letters of Undertaking issued by Brady House branch of the public sector bank. — PTI