NEW DELHI: Fugitive diamond trader Nirav Modi’s petition to reopen proceedings against his extradition order was rejected by the London High Court’s King’s Bench Division on Tuesday.
The matter was strongly argued by the Crown Prosecution Service advocate, assisted by a CBI team, including investigating officers who travelled to London specifically for the hearing.
The reopening application had been filed on the basis of the Sanjay Bhandari judgment. However, the challenge was rejected by the court. The High Court said the re-open petition and the circumstances surrounding it are not exceptional so as to make it appropriate to reopen.
CBI has been seeking the extradition of Nirav Modi in connection with the PNB scam — involving significant financial wrongdoing with a public sector bank — with proceedings ongoing since 2018.
Following his arrest in the UK in 2019, courts approved his extradition and rejected earlier appeals, finding no legal barriers and accepting assurances regarding his treatment in India. A temporary legal obstacle that had delayed the process was lifted in August 2025.
Modi had applied to reopen his appeal citing concerns about potential ill-treatment on the basis of the Bhandari judgment and questioning whether assurances provided by Indian authorities were sufficient to protect his rights. He has remained in a UK prison since March 19, 2019.