The MEA said that India has been vigorously pursuing the extradition of economic fugitives so that they face the legal process in the country…reports Asian Lite News
India has welcomed the UK High Court’s decision which rejected fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi’s appeal against his extradition to India in connection with a bank loan fraud case.
“We welcome the UK high court’s decision to dismiss the appeal against extradition of Nirav Modi,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
“We will continue with our efforts to get Nirav Modi back, as well as other economic offenders so that they are brought to justice,” he said.
The MEA said that India has been vigorously pursuing the extradition of economic fugitives so that they face the legal process in the country.
Earlier on 9 November, the fugitive diamantaire lost his appeal against extradition to India at the High Court in London.
However, the process to bring him back to stand trial in India is unlikely to be a speedy one, as Modi has the option of further appeals in the UK and European courts.
“Pulling these various strands together and weighing them in the balance so as to reach an overall evaluative judgment on the question raised by Section 91, we are far from satisfied that Mr Modi’s mental condition and the risk of suicide are such that it would be either unjust or oppressive to extradite him,” states the ruling.
Lord Justice Jeremy Stuart-Smith and Justice Robert Jay of the High Court of Justice in London said that the February 2021 decision to extradite Nirav Modi was ‘sound’.
Modi has 14 days to appeal against the decision in the UK Supreme Court.
In August last year, Modi was allowed to appeal against the extradition on two grounds – under Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) to hear arguments if it would be unjust or oppressive to extradite him due to his mental state, and Section 91 of the Extradition Act 2003, also related to mental health.
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