Fugitive Nirav Modi has received a big blow from the High Court of Justice (King’s Bench Division) of London. On March 25, 2026, the High Court rejected diamond trader Nirav Modi’s petition to reopen the extradition process. Nirav Modi had sought reopening of his extradition case to India.
This decision of the London High Court strengthens India’s extradition demand in the case related to the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam. Fugitive Nirav Modi is accused of being linked to the PNB scam worth Rs 13,000 crore in India. According to CBI, the court said that the petition and the circumstances surrounding it are not so extraordinary that the case should be reopened. The court also held that the grounds raised in the petition, which included reference to the Bhandari judgment, were not sufficient.
Counsel for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) strongly opposed the petition. He received full cooperation from the CBI team, including the investigating officer, who had specially flown to London for the hearing. “The review petition was filed on the basis of the Bhandari judgment, but the challenge was successfully overcome with sustained and coordinated efforts by the CBI,” a CBI spokesperson said.
Nirav Modi is accused of defrauding PNB of Rs 6,498.20 crore in 2018. This fraud was allegedly done through fake letter of undertaking. Nirav was declared an economic offender in 2019.
After that, on 19 March 2019, due to the efforts of India, he was arrested in Britain. UK courts have since approved the extradition and rejected earlier appeals. The courts accepted assurances of her fair treatment in India and found no legal obstacles. The process was delayed due to a temporary legal hurdle, which was lifted in August 2025.
Nirav Modi had sought to reopen his appeal, raising concerns of possible abuses in India and questioning assurances given by Indian authorities.
The High Court clearly stated in its decision that the circumstances mentioned in the petition do not meet the level of extraordinary circumstances. Therefore it is not appropriate to reopen the case. This decision is a big blow to Nirav Modi and further clears the way for extradition.
CBI has made continuous efforts for the extradition of Nirav Modi since 2018. Nirav Modi is currently lodged in a London jail and faces trial in India on serious charges including fraud and money laundering.