In 2018 Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi orchestrated biggest bank fraud PNB fraud – $ 2 B – and fled India. Both CBI and ED have been fighting a long extradition battle across the globe to bring them back to India.
In a major win for India, the UK High Court has rejected fugitive billionaire Nirav Modi’s plea to reopen his extradition proceedings, officials said. With this, the decks have been cleared for his extradition to India. His plea before the Westminster Court is scheduled to come up for hearing next month.
“Nirav Modi’s petition to reopen proceedings against his extradition order by UK courts was rejected today by the High Court of Justice, King’s Bench Division, London. The matter was strongly argued by the Crown Prosecution Service advocate, ably assisted by a dedicated CBI team, including investigating officers who travelled to London for the hearing,” the CBI said on Wednesday.
“The reopening application had been filed on the basis of the Bhandari judgment; however, through sustained and coordinated efforts of the CBI, the challenge was successfully overcome. While delivering the judgment, the High Court observed that the reopening petition and the circumstances surrounding it were not exceptional enough to justify reopening the case,” the agency added.
The CBI has been seeking Nirav Modi’s extradition 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.
Although a temporary legal obstacle delayed the process, it was lifted in August 2025.
Nirav Modi had sought to reopen his appeal citing concerns about potential ill-treatment (based on the Bhandari judgment) and questioning whether assurances provided by Indian authorities were sufficient to protect his rights. He has been lodged in a UK prison since March 19, 2019.
Nirav Modi is a fugitive economic offender wanted for trial in India in a CBI bank fraud case involving the defrauding of Punjab National Bank of ₹6,498.20 crore.
The Crown Prosecution Service was effectively supported by a dedicated CBI team, which prepared responses in the proceedings and travelled to London specifically for the hearing. The positive outcome highlights the consistent efforts and strong commitment of the Government of India in pursuing the case.
In 2022, the London High Court rejected his plea against extradition to India, and today his re-appeal has also been dismissed.
