New Delhi: Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, wanted in connection with the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, has suffered a major legal setback after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rejected his final appeal against extradition to India. The ruling effectively exhausts all major legal remedies available to Modi, bringing his return to India a step closer.

Nirav Modi has been lodged in Wandsworth Prison in London since his arrest in March 2019. Over the years, he challenged his extradition on several grounds, claiming that he could face an unfair trial and poor prison conditions in India. However, British courts repeatedly upheld the extradition order, accepting the assurances provided by the Indian government regarding his safety and prison facilities.

With the ECHR now refusing to intervene, legal experts say there are no significant judicial hurdles remaining in the extradition process. The case will now move to the final administrative stage, where the UK authorities are expected to complete the formalities before handing Nirav Modi over to Indian authorities.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have been pursuing Modi’s extradition since 2018 in connection with the alleged ₹13,000-crore PNB fraud, one of India’s biggest banking scams. If the extradition is completed, Modi will be brought back to India to face trial on charges of fraud, money laundering, and criminal conspiracy.