After reports of Indian fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi living in London emerged on media on Saturday, the government said his extradition case was being followed as closely as other cases of extradition, including that of Vijay Mallya. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, during a press conference, refuted the allegations that Nirav Modi's case was stuck with the UK government after India's request for his extradition in August 2018. "The government will do everything that is necessary to bring him back. We have been aware of his presence in the UK. Ever since we submitted the extradition request to the UK, the matter is under consideration of the British government," said Raveesh Kumar.
Elaborating on the extradition process, Raveesh said like the usual practice, the UK had also not sought any extra documents related to Nirav Modi from the Indian government, which only showed the British government was considering the matter. On the question of following up the case after submitting the extradition request, Raveesh said India was taking all necessary measures to him back to India. "I can assure follow-ups have been done," said Raveesh Kumar.
Also read: Nirav Modi living freely in Rs 72 crore property in London; runs new diamond business
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress party has attacked the government over the reports of Nirav Modi doing business in London. The party alleged that fugitives had looted Rs 1-lakh crore from Indian banks but not even one has been caught in five years. "Fugitive Nirav Modi has been seen enjoying in London, living in a Rs 75 crore flat and wearing a 10,000-pound jacket," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters. "First loot Rs 23,000 crore from banks, then run away from the country without any checks, mock the CBI and the ED and then make a comfortable home in a Rs 75 crore flat. (Narendra) Modi is there, so it is possible," he claimed.
It seems Prime Minister Narendra Modi is running a "bank fraudsters settlement company" for the likes of Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, Surjewala alleged. "Fugitives looted Rs 1 lakh crore from Indian banks but you have not even caught one in the last five years," he claimed.
The Indian government is trying tooth and nail to capture the fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, but he appears to be living freely in the UK's capital city London in a slightly new avatar. Nirav Modi, who is accused of defrauding the state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) with over Rs 13,700 crore, lives in a property worth over 8 million pounds (over Rs 72 crore) near Oxford Street in London's West End, at a time when the Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) for his arrest after India's request.
Edited by Manoj Sharma
Also read: Nirav Modi: The billionaire who stole a billion
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