London: In a major setback for fugitive Nirav Modi, High Court in UK has rejected his plea to appeal in the Supreme Court against his extradition to India. Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi is facing charges of fraud and money laundering in India.

Nirav Modi had filed an application in the High Court of London, seeking permission to appeal against his extradition order

Nirav Modi had filed an application in the High Court of London, seeking permission to appeal against his extradition order.

In a judgment order pronounced at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Lord Justice Jeremy Stuart-Smith and Justice Robert Jay ruled that “the Appellant’s (Nirav Modi) application for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court is refused”.

With this, Nirav Modi seem to have exhausted all his options in British courts to fight against extradition to India.

Nirav Modi fled India in 2018 before details of his alleged involvement in fraud at the Punjab National Bank (PNB) came to light. Nirav had argued in British courts that there is a high risk of suicide if he was extradited to India.

Earlier on December 6, the Indian authorities submitted their legal response to petition filed by Nirav Modi seeking permission to appeal against his extradition order in the UK Supreme Court.

The 51-year-old diamond merchant was accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank (PNB) of estimated USD 2 billion. The Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was appearing on behalf of the Indian government in the UK courts.

Nirav Modi had filed an appeal last month after he lost his initial High Court appeal on mental health grounds. A two-judge bench had ruled that his risk of suicide is not such that it would be either unjust or oppressive to extradite him from London prison to Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai to face trial on fraud and money laundering charges.