Nirav Modi in UK, authorities finally confirm
New Delhi, Aug 20 (IBNS) : The UK has confirmed for the first time that fugitive Indian billionaire Nirav Modi is in the country, media reports said on Monday.
Nirav Modi, along with his uncle Mehul Choksi, are accused in the Rs. 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud. They left India in January, weeks before the massive bank scam erupted.
Earlier this month, the Government had made an extradition request for Nirav Modi to the Indian mission in UK. Though intelligence and media reports had already talked about Modi being in the UK, officials of the country were yet to confirm it.
The request for his extradition has been sent by a Special Diplomatic Bag to the High Commision of India in London, VK Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, had said in parliament.
Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi are being sought by multiple investigating agencies allegedly for extracting crores in loans from banks abroad on the basis of fake guarantees in the name of PNB, India's second largest state-owned bank.
India had cancelled the passports of both Choksi and Modi in February. But they kept travelling to various countries.
According to the reports of the investigating agencies probing the PNB scam, Nirav Modi possessed at least half-a-dozen Indian passports.
Mehul Choksi has already attained Antiguan citizenship. Antigua has said that it granted citizenship to him on the basis of an all-clear from the police and authorities in India.
Image: Wallpaper
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