Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi was recently seen strolling down a London street wearing a Rs 9 lakh ostrich hide jacket, seemingly unfazed by the prospect of being extradited to India.
Although the government says there was no delay in the case, an NDTV report indicates that British authorities had sought information from India on Modi but got no response.
The Serious Frauds Office in the UK, which deals with economic crimes, confirmed to India in March 2018 that Nirav was in the UK. A lawyer acting for the SFO subsequently wrote three letters to Indian authorities in the summer of 2018 requesting additional documents, the report said, citing sources in the SFO.
The counsel and his team were also willing to visit India to collect evidence but did not get any response from the government.
SFO officials said they had stopped pursuing the case in December due to 'lack of interest' from the Indian government, the report added. It is learnt that Nirav Modi has assembled lawyers anticipating an extradition request by India to the UK.