The UK High Court on Monday, 9 August, approved fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi’s permission to appeal against his extradition to India, on mental health grounds.
According to news agency ANI, Modi's lawyer Edward Fitzgerald stated that Modi was "severely depressed" and that it would be "oppressive" to extradite him. However, England's Crown Prosecution Service, which is representing the Indian government asked the judge to throw out the appeal.
While appealing in the court last month, his lawyer had said that Modi's extradition might adversely affect his mental health and aggravate his "suicidal tendencies."
He had also said that the Arthur Road jail, where Modi is supposed to be kept after his extradition, is "infested with COVID-19."
The request to appeal by Modi had come after a UK court on 23 June had rejected a written plea against his extradition to India.
Modi then made his case at a brief oral hearing in the high court with a renewed “leave to appeal” application for a judge to determine if it can proceed to a full appeal hearing.
Modi is accused of scamming the Punjab National Bank (PNB) of around Rs 14,000 crore.
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