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This week, a two-member bench of the Supreme Court of India, comprising of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, issued notice to the government of India and its ‘caged’ law enforcement agencies, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), seeking their response to them allegedly violating the Indian Extradition Act of 1962.

The authorities are accused of applying one standard in pursuing a person in London and another when doing the same in Delhi in respect of economic crimes. The individuals concerned are a person of Indian origin Nirav Modi in London and British national Christian Michel in Delhi respectively. The matter will be heard in July after the summer recess.

Diamond merchant Modi, who has been in judicial custody in London since 2019, is accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank to the tune of around USD 1 billion and is wanted by the CBI and ED for prosecution in India.

In approving Modi’s extradition to India on March 25, 2026 – though now subject to ratification or otherwise by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in France – Justices Jeremy Stuart-Smith and Robert Jay of the High Court of England and Wales in London, cited in section 27.e. of their judgement that on December 2, 2025 Rakesh Pandey, joint secretary at the ministry of home affairs (MHA) of the Government of India, gave an undertaking to the British government: “In Accordance with the Rule of Speciality, Mr Nirav Modi will not be subjected to any trial concerning offences beyond the scope of the extradition offences without taking consent of the Government of the UK.”

Nirav Modi (L), Mehul Choksi (C) and Vijay Mallya (R) – all wilful defaulters – have fled the country. Credit: Nirav Modi/Facebook; Gitanjali Jewellers; PTI

It is well known that the Narendra Modi-led BJP regime has been keen to bring back high-profile fugitive businessmen from abroad, given Modi’s shrill anti-corruption promises in the 2014 and subsequent general election campaigns. But with little success so far.

The fact is, the late Sushma Swaraj, as external affairs minister........

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