European court grants anonymity to Nirav Modi in extradition case, hearing likely soon

Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi has been reportedly granted anonymity by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), with his case to be treated as confidential and proceedings conducted away from public scrutiny.

As per reports, the court’s press office said that in cases where anonymity is granted and files are marked confidential, no information can be disclosed publicly.

Reports citing sources indicated that the ECHR is likely to hear Modi’s plea within the next fortnight. The court is also expected to hear submissions from the Central Bureau of Investigation before delivering its decision.

If the plea is rejected, it would remove the final legal hurdle to Modi’s extradition to India from the United Kingdom, where he is currently lodged in prison.

In March, the High Court of Justice reportedly rejected Modi’s application to reopen his extradition case, citing the “quality of assurances” provided by the Indian government as sufficient to address concerns over potential mistreatment.

The bench held that the diplomatic assurances submitted between September 2025 and February 2026 were “comprehensive, detailed and reliable”.

Modi had reportedly sought to reopen his appeal, citing a separate extradition ruling involving defence consultant Sanjay Bhandari, in which concerns were raised about alleged custodial practices in India.

Following the rejection by the UK court, Modi approached the ECHR, as the United Kingdom is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights.

The 55-year-old businessman, arrested in London on March 19, 2019, is currently lodged at Wandsworth prison. Declared a fugitive in India, he is accused of involvement in a ₹13,000 crore fraud case linked to Punjab National Bank, allegedly in collusion with his uncle Mehul Choksi.

According to the CBI, Modi is accused of siphoning off over ₹6,498 crore from the total amount involved in the case.