Nirav Modi’s plea to reopen proceedings against his extradition to India was rejected on Wednesday by the High Court of King’s Bench Division in London, which ruled that the application did not meet the threshold of “exceptional circumstances” required to revisit the case. The court held that the grounds presented, including reliance on the Bhandari decision, were insufficient to justify reopening the proceedings.The decision is a major blow to the fugitive diamond merchant, who is wanted in India in the Punjab National Bank fraud case. The Crown Prosecution Service strongly opposed the application during the hearing, which was supported by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team traveling to London, including the lead investigating officer.The high court said in its judgment that the circumstances cited in the petition were not sufficient to reconsider the earlier extradition order, effectively closing this legal avenue for Modi.

What was the matter?

Nirav Modi is fighting extradition to India over his alleged involvement in the Rs 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank fraud, one of the country’s biggest banking scams. He has previously used a number of legal remedies in UK courts, including appeals against extradition orders and applications citing concerns over prison conditions and mental health.The latest attempt to reopen the proceedings was based on the Bhandari judgment, which Modi’s legal team argued had a bearing on his case. However, UK courts have consistently ruled in favor of extradition, finding that the evidence against him establishes a prima facie case and his rights would not be violated if he were returned to India.More updates to follow