Nirav Modi extradition to India nears as final legal challenge ends

Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi's extradition to India appears to have entered its final stage after he reportedly failed in his last legal challenge before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), clearing the final legal hurdle in the long-running case.

According to a report by News18, Modi approached the ECHR in April 2026 after exhausting all avenues of appeal before courts in the United Kingdom.

The report said that the European court did not grant him any relief, leaving him with no further legal options to challenge his extradition.

With the legal process now effectively over, the report said that the UK government has started the administrative formalities required to hand Modi over to Indian authorities.

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Years of legal battle come to an end

Nirav Modi has been lodged in HMP Wandsworth prison in London since his arrest in March 2019.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are seeking his extradition in connection with the alleged multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and a related money laundering case.

His extradition proceedings have continued for several years after then UK Home Secretary Priti Patel signed the extradition order in April 2021. Since then, Modi has filed multiple appeals and bail applications, all of which have been rejected by UK courts.

According to the report, in March he lost what was described as a last-ditch attempt to reopen the extradition proceedings by arguing that he faced a "real risk of torture" if returned to India.

Following that setback, he reportedly moved the European Court of Human Rights seeking an injunction against his extradition.

Separate commercial case in UK

Apart from the extradition proceedings, Modi recently faced an adverse ruling in a separate commercial dispute in the UK.

According to the report, the High Court in London ruled that he is liable to pay more than $11.5 million, along with accrued interest, to Bank of India under a personal guarantee linked to a loan provided to Dubai-based Firestar Diamond FZE.

The court held that the bank had validly served its demand notice and that the personal guarantee was enforceable under Indian law.

Bank of India clarified that the commercial recovery case was separate from the criminal proceedings linked to the alleged PNB fraud.

If the remaining administrative formalities are completed, Nirav Modi's extradition would mark a significant development in one of India's most closely watched economic offences cases.