Nirav Modi moves Royal Court of Justice for bail

New Delhi: Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi has now moved the Royal Court of Justice for his bail plea.

This is the first time that Modi has moved to Royal Court of Justice, the higher court, for a hearing on his bail plea. The Lower Court has already rejected his bail plea three times.

On May 30, the Westminster Magistrates Court in London extended judicial custody of Modi till June 27.

Modi was arrested by uniformed Scotland Yard officers from a Metro Bank branch in central London as he attempted to open a new bank account on March 19. He has been denied bail several times by the UK court since his arrest.

The absconding diamantaire is accused of defrauding India's state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) via fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) had been in possession of multiple passports, since revoked by the Indian authorities to the tune of Rs 13,500 crore.

Nirav has been lodged in Wandsworth prison, considered one of Britain's most notorious cell.

Nirav Modi was arrested on the basis of the extradition request of India and a Red Corner notice issued against him on the request of the CBI last year.

He is believed to have arrived in London last year and was able to travel in and out of Britain at least four times since his passport was cancelled by the Indian authorities in February 2018.

Modi was also reportedly living in the heart of the city above his jewellery boutique Nirav Modi on Old Bond Street, which has since closed down.