Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, who is wanted by Indian agencies in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank fraud case, has been spotted in London, a media report said.
A video released by the United Kingdom's The Telegraph newspaper shows Nirav Modi walking the streets of London, attempting to flag down a cab. Sporting a beard, a pink shirt and what the newspaper described as an ‘ostrich leather’ jacket, Modi was confronted by a reporter. In the video, Nirav Modi is steadfastly seen avoiding every question posed at him, saying "no comment".
The Telegraph report further stated that Nirav Modi, against whom a Red Corner Notice has been issued by the Interpol, is living in the city's West End area and has even started a new diamond business. When asked by the reporter if he was still trading in diamonds under an alias, Modi refused comment.
Exclusive: Telegraph journalists tracked down Nirav Modi, the billionaire diamond tycoon who is a suspect for the biggest banking fraud in India's historyhttps://t.co/PpsjGeFEsy pic.twitter.com/v3dN5NotzQ
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) March 8, 2019
An extradition request against Nirav Modi is pending since last September before the UK authorities.
Just a day earlier on Friday, Modi's 33,000 square ft illegal bungalow in Alibaug, Maharashtra was demolished with explosives by authorities. On February 26, the Enforcement Directorate attached properties of Nirav Modi and his associate companies to the tune of Rs 147 crore in connection with its ongoing probe into the case.
Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are under investigation by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED. The ED filed money laundering cases against them and others on February 15 on the basis of an FIR registered by the CBI.
The ED has till date attached properties worth Rs 4,765 crore of Choksi and Nirav Modi.
In December last year, the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) served notice to Nirav Modi, his family members and his companies to recover over Rs 7,000 crore owed to Punjab National Bank (PNB).
(With IANS input)