After fugitive diamond merchant Nꦚirav Modi lost the first stage of his extradition appeal in the UK High Court, the Ministry of External Af💦fairs said it has noted the decision and will continue its efforts to pursue his early extradition to India to face justice.
"We have noted yesterd🦋ay's decision of the United Kingdom (UK) High Court against his plea to appeal against the extradition order," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
The UK High Court's decision came over two months after🍰 the wanted diamond merchant's extradition to India was ordeওred by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case.
&quo🀅t;We will continue our effo🧜rts to pursue his early extradition to India to face justice," he said.
A high court official confirmed that the permission to appeal was "rejected on paper" on Tuesday, which left the 50-year-old jeweller with a chance for his lawyers to make his case at a brief oral hearing in the high court with a renewed "leave to appeal" appli🍬cation for a judge to determine if it can p🤡roceed to a full appeal hearing.
To a question on diamond merchant Mehul Choksi, Bagchi said the Indian side is in touch with D♓ominican authorities regarding the leg☂al proceedings underway there against him.
";I don't have any immediate update to share,&qu༒ot; he added.
A Dominica🤡n magistrate court adjourned till June 25 the hearing into alleged illegal entry of Choksi into the Caribbean island nation, local media there had rꦑeported earlier last week.
Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi had fled India in the first week of January, 2018, weeks before♏ the scam in the PNB rocked🍨 the Indian banking industry.
Nirav Modi escaped to Europe and was finally held in London where he is contesting his extradition 🎃to India, while Choksi took citizenship of Antigua and Bar💫buda in 2017 where he was staying since his escape from Delhi.
Choksi, 62, had mysteriously gone missing on May 23 from Ant♍igua and Barbuda.
He was detained in neiಌghbouring island country Dominica on May 23 for illegal entry after a possible romantic escapade with his ꩲrumoured girlfriend.
His lawyers alleged that he was kidnapped from Jolly Harbour in Antigua by policemen looking like Antiguans and Indians and brought to Dominic🥀a on a boat.
To a separate question on 24-year-old Vishal Jood, who is lodged in an Australian prison reportedly over his alleged hand in a series of hate attacks on su🔴spected pro-Khalistan Sikhs in Sydney this year, Bagchi said the matter is now sub-judice in Australia.
"I know that consular access♉ to Vishal Jood was granted on June 17 and our high commission is in t𓄧ouch with the Australian authorities," he said.
Responding to another question o💫n the status of extradition of radical preacher Zakir Naik to India from Malaysia, Bagchi said there is no immediate update on the Zakir Naik issue.
"Talks have been going on with Malaysian au✅thorities for his extradition. We will share an update when there is one," the MEA spokesperson said.
With PTI inputs
