European Court of Human Rights grants Nirav Modi confidential hearing in extradition case

Fugitive diamond trader Nirav Modi has been granted anonymity by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France, meaning his case will be handled confidentially and kept out of public view. The court will treat his case as confidential, and proceedings will be conducted without the presence of any public, officials said.

"In cases where an applicant has been granted anonymity and the case file is confidential, the court cannot provide any information about that case," the ECHR Press office told the news agency PTI. The European Court of Human Rights is expected to hear Nirav Modi’s plea within the next two weeks, along with submissions from the Central Bureau of Investigation, after which it may deliver its ruling, sources said.

If his appeal is turned down, it would clear the final legal barrier to his extradition to India from the United Kingdom, where he is currently held in a London prison. Earlier in March, the UK High Court of Justice dismissed Modi's petition to reopen his case against extradition, depending upon the "quality of assurances" given by the Indian government. The court also said that they were "comprehensive" enough to neutralise the possible mistreatment that might have barred his transfer to India.

Nirav Modi's extradition appeal

With that decision exhausting his legal options in the UK, Modi subsequently moved to the ECHR. The UK remains a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights. The High Court of Justice bench, consisting of Justice Stuart-Smith and Justice Jay, refused Modi's plea to reopen his extradition appeal under the Criminal Procedure Rules. They underscored that diplomatic undertakings provided by India between September 2025 and February 2026 "provided a sheaf of assurances that are comprehensive, detailed and reliable."

Nirav Modi requested his extradition appeal to reopen on a February 2025 judgment in the case of defence consultant Sanjay Bhandari, where the court termed the use of torture by Indian agencies to obtain confessions as "commonplace and endemic."

The 55-year-old jeweller, once known for his high-profile Bollywood clientele, global boutique outlets, and appearances at Cannes, has been held at Wandsworth prison in the UK since his arrest on March 19, 2019. Declared a fugitive in India, Modi is accused of masterminding a Rs 13,000 crore fraud at Punjab National Bank along with his uncle Mehul Choksi, who is currently imprisoned in Belgium. According to the Central Bureau of Investigation, Modi alone allegedly siphoned off Rs 6,498.20 crore from the total amount.