London / Mumbai: Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, fighting extradition to India on charges over the nearly $2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case, was further remanded in custody at a hearing on Wednesday and asked to appear via videolink on January 2.
Modi appeared for his regular 28-day "call-over" appearance from London's Wandsworth prison at Westminster Magistrates' Court, where Judge Gareth Branston reconfirmed that his extradition trial will begin on May 11 next year and will last five days.
The judge also decided that Modi will appear via videolink on January 2, 2020. Meanwhile, he must appear before the court every 28 days.
Proclamation order issued against Nirav, 2 others Furthermore, a special court in Mumbai on Wednesday directed Nirav Modi and two others to appear before it by January 15, failing which it will proceed to declare them proclaimed offenders.
Special CBI court judge VC Barde issued the proclamation order against Nirav Modi, his brother Neeshal Modi and a close associate Subhash Parab, directing them to remain present before it by mid January.
While Nirav Modi was arrested in London and his extradition process is pending, the whereabouts of Neeshal and Parab were not known, the CBI had said in its application.
The probe agency has claimed that Parab was an executive in Nirav Modi's firm.
Meanwhile, a special Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) Act court here is likely to pass an order on Thursday on a Enforcement Directorate (ED) plea to declare Nirav Modi a fugitive economic offender in the case.
