Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi suffered a legal setback after the High Court of Justice, King’s Bench Division in London, rejected his petition seeking to reopen proceedings against his extradition order to India.The application to reopen the case was filed on the basis of a ruling delivered by a UK High Court in the case of defence middleman Sanjay Bhandari. In that matter, Bhandari had argued that he could face torture if extradited to India, and the court had declined his extradition on humanitarian grounds.Citing the same precedent, Nirav contended that he too would face a risk of torture if sent back to India. However, officials from the CBI presented arguments countering this claim during the proceedings.While delivering its decision, the UK High Court observed that the petition filed by Nirav did not meet the threshold of exceptional circumstances required to justify reopening the case.The court noted that the grounds presented were not sufficient and held that it would not be appropriate to revisit the earlier ruling. Nirav is wanted in India in connection with the Punjab National Bank fraud case. He fled the country in 2018 and was arrested in the UK in 2019, following which British courts approved his extradition, rejecting multiple appeals.The CBI has been seeking the extradition of Nirav, with proceedings ongoing since 2018. Following his arrest in the UK in 2019, courts approved his extradition and rejected earlier appeals, finding no legal barriers and accepting assurances regarding his treatment in India.“Although a temporary legal obstacle delayed the process, it was lifted in August 2025. Nirav Modi had applied to reopen his appeal citing concerns about potential ill-treatment (basis Bhandari judgment) and questioning whether assurances provided by Indian authorities were sufficient to protect his rights. He has been in a UK prison since March 19, 2019,” the CBI said.Nirav is a fugitive economic offender wanted for trial in India in the Rs 6,498.20 crore bank fraud case.“The Crown Prosecution Service was effectively supported by a dedicated CBI team, which prepared the responses in the proceedings and travelled to London specifically for the hearing. The positive outcome highlights the consistent efforts and strong commitment of the Government of India in achieving this success,” it added.