Overview
- Nirav Modi’s application to reopen his UK extradition appeal was refused on Wednesday, with the High Court saying the case did not meet the “exceptional circumstances” threshold.
- The bench accepted fresh Indian assurances that he will not be interrogated by the CBI, ED, SFIO, DRI or CBDT, and it noted it would likely have reopened the case without those pledges.
- Judges Jeremy Stuart-Smith and Robert Jay called the assurances detailed and given in good faith, and they treated them as binding on the central government, Maharashtra, and the five agencies.
- The assurances, delivered in September and December 2025 and reinforced by a February 2026 note verbale, also set out Arthur Road Prison housing, access to lawyers and doctors, and respect for UK consent limits on any future questioning.
- The Crown Prosecution Service, assisted in court by a CBI team that flew to London, opposed the bid as Modi remains in custody since 2019 in the Punjab National Bank fraud case, where one CBI count alleges ₹6,498.20 crore siphoned within a broader ₹13,000–13,578 crore scheme.