New Delhi, November 9
With fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi losing his appeal in the UK High Court against his extradition to India, the CBI today said that testimonies by two psychiatrists during the final hearing was crucial in debunking his poor psychological state argument.
Nirav Modi today lost his appeal against extradition to India on mental health grounds as the High Court ruled that his risk of suicide “is not such that it would be either unjust or oppressive to extradite him to face charges of fraud and money laundering”.
Officials in the CBI said, during the final hearing, Professor Andrew Forrester of Cardiff University and Professor Seena Fazel of the University of Oxford gave evidence before the High Court, which dismissed the appeal filed by the fugitive.
“Today’s judgement of the UK High Court is a significant achievement in the context of CBI’s efforts to curb corruption and is a reminder that fugitives, who have eluded the process of law after commission of large value frauds, cannot consider themselves above the process merely because they have changed jurisdiction,” the CBI said in a statement. The agency also commended and acknowledged “the painstaking and continuous efforts made by the counsel of the Crown Prosecution Service in forcefully presenting the Government of India’s case”.
It lauded the efforts of various government agencies, especially officers of the High Commission of India, London, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs in coordinating the trial, timely submission of evidence and prompt follow-up of the case at all stages.
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