NEW DELHI: Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi appears to be a step closer to extradition from the UK after losing his final legal challenge before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), removing the last major hurdle in the case, sources said on Monday.
According to the sources, the Strasbourg-based court declined to grant Modi any relief, leaving him with no further legal avenues to challenge his extradition.
Modi had approached the ECHR in April 2026 after failing to secure relief from UK courts. At the time, the court granted anonymity to his petition, a standard practice in cases under consideration, and withheld details of the proceedings until a decision was reached.
With the legal process now effectively concluded, the UK government has initiated administrative procedures to hand Modi over to the Indian authorities, the sources added.
Modi, 55, has been lodged in Wandsworth Prison in London since his arrest in March 2019. He is wanted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged Rs 13,000-crore Punjab National Bank fraud and a related money laundering case.
His petition before the ECHR followed a UK High Court decision refusing him permission to challenge the extradition order. The court had held that the assurances provided by Indian authorities regarding prison conditions and treatment were adequate.
Earlier this year, the King's Bench Division of the High Court also dismissed Modi's plea to reopen proceedings against the extradition order.
The extradition process began in 2021 when Westminster Magistrates' Court approved India's request. The decision was subsequently upheld by the High Court.
Modi is accused of fraudulently obtaining guarantees from Punjab National Bank, which were allegedly used to raise credit from overseas branches of other banks, with the funds routed through shell companies.