Nirav Modi extradition expected soon after loss in European Human Rights Court

Nirav Modi, the diamantaire at the centre of one of India's largest banking frauds, is set to be extradited to India in the near future after losing his case at the European Court of Human Rights, clearing what had been one of the last significant legal hurdles in a years-long extradition battle.

Nirav Modi has been held in British custody while fighting extradition to India, where he is wanted in connection with the massive Punjab National Bank fraud case. His legal team had argued, among other grounds, that extradition would violate his human rights — a claim now rejected by the European court.

The PNB fraud, which surfaced in 2018, involved alleged misuse of letters of undertaking to raise credit from overseas branches of Indian banks. The case became a symbol of systemic failures in India's banking sector and triggered a sweeping overhaul of banking oversight. Several co-accused, including Nirav Modi's uncle Mehul Choksi, continue to face their own legal battles in other jurisdictions.

India's Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation have been building their case for years in anticipation of Nirav Modi's return. His extradition, once executed, will be the most high-profile such transfer in recent Indian legal history and is expected to send a strong message about the limits of using foreign jurisdictions as a refuge from Indian law.