Photos: Nirav Modi transferred to a luxurious private prison in London, ऐसा जेल कभी देखा नहीं होगा
Nirav Modi, the fugitive diamond merchant wanted in India on fraud and money laundering charges, has been transferred from Wandsworth Prison to a privately-run facility in London, HMP Thameside.
The transfer comes days after a major manhunt was launched after a terrorist suspect escaped from Wandsworth. It is believed that Nirav was among the 40 inmates moved out of Wandsworth as a precaution.
HMP Thameside is a Category B men’s prison, similar to Wandsworth. It is described as London’s only private prison and can hold around 1,232 convicted and on-remand male prisoners.
Nirav’s transfer does not affect his extradition status. He lost his legal battle in the highest UK court against being extradited to India in the estimated USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan scam case last year. However, his case is now said to be “statute barred”, indicating further pending litigation.
Nirav was arrested in March 2019 on an extradition warrant based on Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) charges against the businessman. There are three sets of criminal proceedings against the diamantaire in India.