Nirav fears 'interrogation' by agencies if extradited 

A London court will on November 23 hear fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's petition to reopen his extradition trial on the grounds that he may face interrogation by agencies if repatriated to India, a claim agencies are likely to counter with an assurance that he will not be quizzed.

Modi, who has exhausted all his legal appeals till the Supreme Court, had approached the Westminster Court with a plea to reopen his extradition trial, understood to be on the grounds that if extradited to India, he would be subjected to interrogation by various agencies, which may result in torture, they said.

The agencies probing the matter may reiterate their past assurance to the court that Modi, when extradited, will be put to trial in accordance with Indian laws and will not face any interrogation by the agencies.

"We have already filed the chargesheets in the case. His questioning is not needed as of now. Our investigation is almost complete. He is needed to face the trial. In case the court in the United Kingdom asks us, we may reiterate our assurance that he will not be subjected to any interrogation if extradited to India. We have given such assurance in the past as well," an official in the know of developments said.

All the investigative agencies that are working on cases against Modi -- accused of siphoning off over Rs 6,498 crore through hundreds of Letter of Undertakings issued fraudulently from Punjab National Bank -- are on the same page that his interrogation is not needed.

India has already told the UK that Modi would be kept in barrack 12 of the Arthur Road Prison in Mumbai, which has no threat of any violence, overcrowding, mistreatment and has a medical facility.

He would face trial in accordance with Indian laws, and no fresh charges will be slapped on him, the agencies have assured the UK. -- PTI